Welcome To The Family
by KDiMeraFan21
Summary: When Derek's mom starts dating someone new, Derek freaks and flies out to Chicago, taking Penelope with him. Little does Derek know, Fran's new beau is someone he already knows and the trip is a setup to get him and Penelope together at last. Once they arrive in Chicago, though, a major family secret is revealed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! Here's my latest fanfic! I hope y'all enjoy.**

It all started with a phone call for Derek Morgan.

When his mom called him long distance from Chicago that morning, Derek knew something was up. Fran seldom called him at any other time than Sunday evening. That was her designated call time, as it was almost a guarantee that Derek wouldn't be too busy to answer.

This was definitely out of the ordinary for his mother. As soon as her name popped up on his iPhone, Derek swiped to answer the call, fearing the absolute worst. Had someone died?

"Hello?" he said into the receiver. "Mom?"

"Hello, darling," came her soft and familiar voice. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he said. "I just got back from my morning run." Then, confused: "Not to go profiler on you, but it's Saturday. You always call on Sundays. Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Fran reassured him. "Everything's perfect actually. I just have some news to share with you."

"I'm listening," Derek said. With his mother, the news could be anything from an exciting storyline on a TV show or that her kitchen had finally been repainted.

"I'm seeing someone new," she squealed into the phone. "Can you believe it?"

" _What?"_ he cried, nearly choking on air. "Since when?"

"Not very long," she replied. "Only a couple of months. He's absolutely wonderful. Sarah and Desiree love him already."

"What?" Derek sputtered again, caught completely off guard. He quickly checked the calendar to see if it was April Fool's day. "Are you serious?"

In all the years since his father's death, Fran never showed interest in anyone. Not even a fleeting emotion. When men asked her out, she had always politely turned them down. "I'm busy raising my kids," was her excuse. After the three of them left home, she told people she was simply too old to date. "I've been there and done that many times before," was her mantra.

"I'm 100% serious," she said into the phone. "I can't wait for the two of you to meet. Which brings me to the reason behind my phone call. When can you come to Chicago to visit? I'd love for the two of you to get to know each other."

His mother was just scaring him at this point. She was squealing like a lovesick teenager, and Derek could imagine Fran flapping her hands around as she spoke. She always did that when she was excited.

"Well, what's he like?" he asked at last. "Is he someone I know?"

She waited a few seconds before answering. "I'm sure you two have meet before. He's in a similar line of work. And, no, he's from the DC area actually. I met him at a town meeting last year when the crime rate went up."

Derek raised his eyebrows immediately. This guy was in law enforcement too? While that was definitely reassuring, he still needed to make the trek to Chicago. What if this guy wasn't good enough for his mom? He had to check him out for himself. Sarah and Desiree meant well, but they were also naive. Besides, if this guy wasn't treating Fran right, Derek would kick his ass.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm on vacation for the next two weeks from the Bureau. Our last few cases have been a little rough, so we unanimously decided to take a break. For health reasons, I guess you could say. I could visit as soon as possible, if you'd like."

Fran squealed again. "That would be wonderful!" she said. "I'll call your sisters and let them know. Are you coming alone?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But that was before you and this Penelope woman started talking. I'm dying to meet my future daughter-in-law."

"We're not even official, Mom," Derek explained. "Penelope and I are friends. Best friends, really. There's nothing else going on between us."

"Sure, sure," she said. "Just keep telling yourself that. I'll see you soon, son. Call me with your flight information later."

"I will," Derek promised. "I love you."

"I love you too. Take care."

With that said, he ended the call. He sat for a few minutes on his couch, staring at the pictures of his mother and sisters on the walls of his living room.

His mother was dating someone. She was actually back on the dating scene after twenty years. Derek fought the urge to laugh and stood up abruptly. He needed to get everything in order and be on the next flight to Illinois asap.

He had a few words of warning to share with his mother's new beau.

* * *

As soon as Derek found an available flight to Chicago, he booked it. There were only a few seats left on the plane, and he wanted to be certain that he was able to go tonight. He simply could not wait any longer.

He typed in the necessary information and then called Hotch. He was usually the one to watch Clooney when Derek went out of town for holidays and other vacations. "Hey man," Derek said when his boss answered. "I'm heading to Chicago for the week. Does Jack want a furry playmate to keep him busy?"

"You bet," Hotch said, sighing in relief. "Jack's on spring break and is already dying of boredom. He keeps calling me a wet blanket because I don't like his video games."

"You're not a fan of the new video games?" he teased. "I thought you liked Mario Kart and all that."

"I do," Hotch said. "These are a different story. They're a bit too violent for me. Besides, don't I see enough dead bodies and bloody crime scenes at work?"

Derek laughed. "True that," he said. "If you decide to play though, they don't depict dead bodies very accurately. They've always looked fake to me."

"I think I'll pass," he said. "Anyway, what time will you be bringing Clooney over?"

"About an hour," Derek replied. "I just need to pack a few things, call my Mom, and make a quick stop. Alright?"

"We'll be expecting you," Hotch said. "See you soon."

After hanging up, Derek quickly packed the necessities into his suitcase. It only took him about ten minutes. Traveling had become second hat to him over the years with the BAU.

Then he grabbed Clooney's leash and hauled the large dog out to the SUV. The german shepherd sat perched on the passenger seat waiting for Derek to roll down the windows. As soon as he complied by pressing the button, Clooney stuck his head out to watch their surroundings as they drove. It was the dog's favorite thing in the world.

During his drive, Derek called his mother to let her know what time he'd be landing. "A little after six," he told her. "Make sure one of you is there. I don't want to walk like last time when Sarah forgot about me."

"We'll remember," his mother promised. "We're having a family dinner tonight too. Come hungry!"

The call lasted about five minutes, and then he pulled up in front of a familiar apartment building. This was his pit stop before taking Clooney over to Hotch's. The german shepherd, instantly knowing where they were, started whining. Derek had barely gotten out of the car when Clooney ran to claw at the front door until the owner opened the screen.

"Clooney!" Derek yelled at the half-crazed dog. "Stop that."

"Oh, he's alright," Penelope said, smiling at the two of them. Her hair was piled up on her head in a messy way, but she still looked great. "What brings my favorite boys to see me?"

"We have something to convince you of," he said walking up the sidewalk. "That and I know Clooney can talk you into anything with his puppy dog eyes."

She giggled. "You have a point. Clooney certainly has a part of my heart all reserved for himself, as do you, my sweet prince. What are you needing?"

"You to come with me on a trip," Derek said. "I'm leaving for Chicago in a few hours to see my family. I have two tickets, and I want you with me."

"Derek…"

"C'mon Baby Girl," he said. "This is an all expenses paid trip, and my mother is dying to meet you. Besides, wouldn't you rather be with your Chocolate Thunder than at home binge watching Doctor Who all week?"

"Well…"

"Go pack, woman," Derek said. "I'm not taking no for an answer. You'll have the time of your life with me. You can hang out with Sarah and Desiree too."

Penelope pursed her lips at him in defiance. "If I object anyway, as this is incredibly short notice, what's my punishment?"

"I'll spank you," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You know how much I hate sitting with strangers on airplanes. Besides, I want my Baby Girl by my side versus any other woman in the country."

"I just don't know, Hot Stuff," she said. "It'd take me forever to pack everything I need. Besides, I don't get quite as long a vacation as you and the rest of our friends. Four days is all."

"Call in sick," Derek said, smiling at her wickedly. "Tell them you have the stomach flu."

Penelope giggled. "They'd know I was faking," she said. "I never get sick or miss work."

Derek looked down at Clooney who was stretched out on the porch between them. Penelope bent down to scratch behind his ears, while Derek continued to persuade the tech to join him on his adventure.

"Please?" he said. "My mom wants me to meet her new boyfriend. You know how I am with people I don't know, especially when it comes to the women in my life."

She bit back a laugh. The look on Derek's face was priceless right now. She could only imagine the interrogation that was soon to ensue. Plus, she would love to see the man who had captured Fran's interest…

"Fine," Penelope said. "I'll come with you. Under one condition."

"What is it?"

"You have to take me to all the tourist places," she said. "I want to see everything. Even if it seems like nothing to a seasoned Chicagoan like you."

"That's fine with me," he said. "Though you might want to hurry. We only have about three hours before our flight leaves, and I still need to drop Clooney off at Hotch's."

"Derek!" Penelope cried. "That's so soon!"

"I wanted you to come!" he exclaimed. "I knew you wouldn't if I told you when the flight left. Just grab what you'll need tonight and I'll help you get the rest once we're there. Alright?"

"Fine," she grumbled. "But you are so dead right now."

With that said, the tech turned on her heel and headed inside, with Derek and Clooney right behind her.

 **A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback. You guys are the best.**

An hour and a half later, Penelope was ready. She hurried out to the SUV in her heels, causing Derek to laugh under his breath at how frazzled she was. She had definitely packed her things in a hurry.

Tossing her bag in the back, she climbed in the seat beside Derek. "I cannot wait to be in Chicago," she said, running her fingers through her messy hair. "I need some TLC after that mad packing session."

"We'll be there before you know it," Derek promised and pulled out of the drive.

They dropped Clooney off at Hotch's next. Jack was absolutely elated when they stopped at the curb, as he'd been waiting since Derek had originally called. As soon as the car stopped, Jack took off running to meet his favorite canine. They immediately started playing, right in the front yard, while Hotch looked on warily from the door.

"Looks like I'm going to have my hands full," Hotch said, grinning at the duo as they chased one another. "We're happy to watch him though. You two have fun in Chicago."

Now, an hour later, they were sitting on the plane, waiting for takeoff. They had been fortunate enough to score a window seat and had no strangers sitting in the small aisle with them. They both liked the privacy, especially after their hectic day.

Derek watched out of the corner of his eye as Penelope applied her makeup and fixed her hair. She hadn't had time to do so before leaving and wanted to look nice when they landed. It would be her first time meeting Derek's family, and a first impression would definitely be the lasting one.

"What?" she asked, noticing he was staring at her intently.

Was it possible to fall in love just by watching someone? Derek was certainly starting to believe it might be true.

"Nothing, nothing," he said quickly. "You just look nice today, is all."

"Yeah right," she said. "I didn't even have a chance to look in the mirror before I left. I probably look like Godzilla's sister."

"I'm serious," he said. "You look great."

Something about his tone registered to her as genuine. Smiling at him, she replied: Thanks, but you're still not completely off the hook. I'm about 90% sure I forgot something at home."

"Chicago has plenty of stores to shop for anything you forgot," Derek reminded her. "Plus my mom and sisters can let you borrow anything else you might need."

Before she had a chance to respond, the plane started to take off. Settling back in her seat, Penelope watched as the ground grew smaller and smaller. Soon all she could see was clouds and the occasional patch of ground.

She turned back to Derek. "Thanks for inviting me. Really. I needed to get away from work for a while."

"It's my pleasure," he said while getting comfortable. They were in for a two and a half hour plane ride.

"So Fran has a new man, huh?" she asked. "Has she sent you pictures of him yet?"

Derek shook his head. "No," he said. "I don't know anything about him. Come to think of it, I forgot to even ask his name."

"You'll figure it out," Penelope said with a grin. "I bet he's good looking. Your mom wouldn't settle for just anyone."

"Looks aren't my concern here," he replied. "I want to know if he's being a proper gentleman. My mom deserves the best, especially after what happened with Dad. She's been through a lot."

Derek stopped then, unable to go on. He couldn't talk about his father very long without getting upset. Penelope, sensing his emotion, patted his arm reassuringly. Then, changing the subject: "What do Sarah and Desiree think?" she asked. "Of the nouveau beau?"

"They like him," he said "At least that's what they told Mom. I'm sure Sarah will have an opinion all of her own though. She always does."

"Maybe you'll like him too," Penelope said. "If he can get on the right side of Sarah, he must be pretty close to perfect. You know she would've called you by now if he was sketchy."

Derek didn't say anything for a minute. Like the guy? He seriously doubted it. There were only a few men in the world that he respected and remotely liked, and all of them worked at the BAU with him. He wasn't sure if he would like this new guy his mother had fallen for at all. What if he hated his guts?

"Yeah," he said, trying to stay positive for Penelope. "Maybe I will like him after all."

"That's the spirit," she said and turned to look out the window, leaving Derek alone with his thoughts.

What if this guy truly sucked? Was he supposed to keep his mouth or ruin his mother's happiness in the process of being honest? What was the proper protocol here?

* * *

"Do you think she'll be with him?" Desiree squealed to her mother and sister. "I want to meet Derek's new woman!"

"You know she will," Fran said laughing. "I gave him the idea. Knowing Derek, he ran with it and bought the ticket before he even told her about coming."

They are smiled at each other knowingly. They knew Derek had probably reacted in that way exactly regarding Penelope.

"What about meeting you know who?" Sarah piped up. "You know Derek will give him the third degree being the mama's boy he is. He wants you with the best of the best."

"I am with the best," she replied, smiling at the man who entered the kitchen then. "Hopefully Derek won't lose his mind as much when he realizes who it is. You can certainly be trusted, can't you, my love?"

David Rossi bent over to kiss Fran's cheek. "Most definitely," he said. "You know my intentions are true. Now, shouldn't we be heading for the airport? I wouldn't want Derek and Penelope waiting around for us."

"Yes, yes!" Fran said, quickly hopping to her feet. "We'll be back soon. Sarah, make sure you check on dinner in about ten minutes. And no pestering your brother when we return. Penelope or no Penelope, we're happy he's visiting. Alright?"

The two women grumbled under their breath like children. Yeah, yeah. They could be nice to Derek. At least while he digested the fact that his coworker was dating his mother. That was a lot for anyone to process, especially with a temper like Derek's. He was prone to flying off the handle at the smallest things.

* * *

It was funny how things worked out. Life was full of surprises, and as David Rossi was coming to find, it had a way of completely stumping someone. Especially when it involved love and women like Fran Morgan.

Rossi had visited Chicago the year before. He had been invited by a city official to speak about the rising crime rate to members of the community. Since he was an FBI profiler, they wanted him to present a list of tell-tale signs and let the citizens know how to be safe. It was there that he had met Fran.

" _Well, well," she had said, approaching him once the presentation was over. "I've heard great things about you, David Rossi. My son speaks highly of you."_

 _Rossi gave the woman an apologetic smile. Had they met before and he'd forgotten her? He certainly doubted it. "And you are?"_

" _Oh," Fran said. "My bad. I'm Fran Morgan, Derek's mother. He works with your team back in Quantico."_

" _That's right," he replied. "I almost forgot that Derek was from Chicago. Forgive me. I wasn't with the team yet when the Carl Buford case was worked on. Jason Gideon was still leading them."_

" _It's quite alright," she said, waving off his apology. Then: "Thank you for coming to speak with our community. Your facts are very eye opening. I'll have to let Derek know how inspirational your speech was."_

" _Thank you," Rossi said. "That's very kind. I'm not much of a public speaker. Normally Hotch or Derek takes over these endeavors, but they both had other obligations to handle."_

 _He reached into his jacket pocket then for his wallet. He was going to give Fran his business card, letting her know she could call if the crime rate skyrocketed anymore. If it did, the BAU might be formally invited to investigate._

 _Fran's eyes landed on the picture of a blonde woman before the wallet closed though._

" _Is that your wife?" she asked, pointing at the picture. "She's very pretty."_

 _Rossi's chest felt like it had been ripped open. Fran was pointing at the picture of Erin Strauss he carried with him everywhere. He liked knowing she was only tucked away in his pocket when he was traveling with the team. Especially if they were dealing with a bad case._

" _Um, no," he said. "She's not my wife. She was my friend."_

" _Was?"_

" _She passed away a few months ago," Rossi explained. "We were a little more than friends, actually. We were, er, involved."_

 _Seeing the pained expression on the man's face, Fran instantly felt empathy for him. She knew exactly how he felt. Rossi must be feeling the way she had when Derek's dad died. Half alive, depressed, and not knowing how to go on._

" _What are you doing tonight?" Fran asked on impulse. She reached out to touch his arm, surprising even herself. "Do you have plans?"_

" _No, why?"_

" _Come with me," she said. "I know a good coffee shop up the road from here. Even if it's only thirty minutes, it's better that being cooped up in a hotel room all night. Trust me. I still wish I had gotten out more when my husband died."_

 _It took Rossi a second to react. He studied the redhead, analyzing her behavior as he did so. Fran seemed concerned for the man she barely knew, and she was ever so willing to help a friend of her son's._

" _Okay," he said. "I have a few hours to spare."_

 _He followed her out onto the street, realizing their similarity in that moment. They were both lonely souls looking for their match. Someone to understand their pain. And if anyone would understand what he was going through, it was Fran._

 _It seemed that Rossi had found his match. After an hour or two of talking at the coffee shop, he had kissed her. It seemed so natural, and he had never been happier. Fran made him feel whole again, as he did with her._

* * *

Penelope followed Derek off the plane, swearing for the umpteeth time about wearing high heels on their trip. They were definitely not the footwear for outings like this.

"Do you see them?" she asked, craning her neck. The airport was flooded with people Then, when he didn't answer: "Derek?"

It was like he was frozen into place. Fearing he'd went catatonic, she waved a hand in his face. "Morgan, you're scaring me."

"Rossi," was all he could say, pointing in the direction of his mother. Penelope turned to see Fran standing hand in hand with their colleague, looking around for the two of them.

It was then that Penelope got it. "Oh my god," she shrieked. "Rossi is the mystery guy!"

 **A/N: Hope y'all loved it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Enjoy!**

Rossi, instantly recognizing the female screech, turned to see Derek and Penelope in the midst of the crowd. They looked shocked to see him with Fran. Well, Derek did anyway. Penelope looked absolutely thrilled at the concept of them together. She radiated excitement from across the room.

"We've been spotted," Fran giggled. "At least Penelope looks happy for us. I can't say the same for Derek though."

"I know," Rossi murmured. "I can't tell if he's glaring at me or just simply staring."

Derek was frozen into place, mouth agape, staring openly at Rossi. In fact, the man's eye contact was making the Italian sweat more than he liked to admit. Derek wasn't supposed to intimidate him. Shouldn't the roles be reversed? After all, David was the elder here.

"Knowing Derek, it's a little of both," she replied, assessing her son's expression. "He's probably shocked more than anything."

Fran felt guilty then. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to spring this on him at once. She hadn't given him a warning of any sort, and the idea of her dating was foreign to Sarah and Desiree. She could only imagine how Derek felt.

Was it a bad idea to walk over and talk to him? She wasn't entirely sure if he could make the trek on his own. Derek was practically rooted to the ground.

Before Fran voiced her suggestion, Penelope started over, dragging Derek along with her. Laughing under her breath, Fran watched as the blonde struggled to get the man to move. "C'mon," she was saying. "You can't stand and stare at them forever. Let's see what's going on."

Not knowing how to feel, Derek succumbed to Penelope's pestering and headed over to the couple, despite his wishes. Had the room gotten smaller? It sure felt that way. Once they reached them, Derek noted that Rossi looked a bit terrified of him. He was still holding Fran's hand though.

It was surreal. _Rossi_ was the one who treated her to dinner every time he was in Chicago to visit. _Rossi_ talked to her about things that no one else could understand. _Rossi_ helped his mother feel loved and safe and secure again. And, above everything else, _Rossi_ loved her the way Derek loved Penelope.

"Congratulations you two!" Penelope squealed. "You two make a perfect couple, really."

"Thank you," Fran replied, smiling at the bubbly tech. They shook hands. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Penelope beamed at the older woman. Even though this was their first meeting, she liked Fran a great deal already. She was pretty. Her eyes were a lovely shade of green, and her red hair complemented them nicely. She could definitely see what attracted Rossi to the woman. Fran was gorgeous. Penelope could definitely see where Derek inherited his good looks from.

She turned to Rossi then. "I want details!" Penelope insisted. "As your biggest confidante since Erin died, I deserve the full story. You better not hold back on me, not even the slightest bit."

Rossi laughed at Penelope's antics. "My, my. You're awfully happy for me, aren't you Garcia?"

"Of course, moi Italian," she said. "I've been rooting for your return to the dating field for months now. I knew you were ready. You just needed to realize it on your own first."

The two glanced at Derek then. Not a single word had passed his lips during their encounter. His eyes shifted from his mother to Rossi. Then to Penelope.

Still, he said nothing.

"Why don't we give Derek and Fran a chance to talk?" Rossi suggested. "Penelope and I can go baggage claim and meet you at the front of the building."

Fran nodded. "That's fine with me. I'll see you in about ten minutes."

Before turning to go, Rossi kissed Fran's cheek, knowing better than to take it further than that. Derek's motionless state could go out the window at any moment. It was best not to chance it with too much affection. Later, when they were alone though...

Penelope squeezed Derek's hand in support, knowing that the poor man was clueless on how to react. He just needed time. Eventually he would realize that Rossi was the perfect man for his mom.

Hoping Fran could convince him, Penelope followed Rossi to the baggage counter.

* * *

"How was your flight?" Rossi asked. "I heard you didn't have much time to pack."

Penelope tilted her face up to the sun. They were outside waiting for Derek and Fran to pick them up, the luggage sitting at their feet. "That's an understatement. Derek didn't tell me until about two hours before. I barely had time to find a suitcase, much less to pack."

"Did you forget anything?"

"Beats me," she said, blowing her bangs out of her face. "I got the basics anyway. Clothes, toothbrush, toiletries. Anything else I can pick up at the drugstore or borrow."

Not knowing what else to discuss, Rossi shifted his weight from one leg to the other. What was taking so long? It had already been ten minutes. The passing of time put him on edge, especially with Derek's silence before. Was he angry? Were they arguing inside the airport?

Rossi hoped not. He cared for Fran deeply. The last thing he wanted was to lose her or put pressure on her relationship with Derek.

"What do you think is going on?" Penelope finally asked. "They're taking a long time."

"I have no idea," Rossi replied, turning to look at the door. Maybe Derek and Fran had something else to discuss. Maybe one of them needed to use the restroom. There had to be a reasonable explanation to what was taking so long.

At any second, Derek and Fran would walk out laughing and happy. Rossi was sure of it.,Then the drama of the evening would be over. Everything would be alright. It had to.

Strangers flocked out of the airport, most of them families, and barely glanced at them in passing. Derek and Fran were nowhere to be found.

This couldn't be a good sign.

* * *

Sarah and Desiree snooped through Fran's kitchen. Whatever was going on, it was taking forever. The food was ready and the table set. Sarah had even drug out some candles and lit them for their family dinner.

"I'm bored," Desiree moaned, rummaging through her mother's cabinets again. Then: "Does Mom ever go through these cupboards? They look the same way they did when I went to college."

"I've never seen her cleaning them," Sarah replied honestly. Then, laughing: "Do you remember when Derek used to hide from Dad in them? He was always so skinny and small as a kid. Dad would pretend that he couldn't find him."

"I'd forgotten about that," she said. "We liked playing hide and seek, didn't we? I hid in the linen closet all the time, and you would go behind the couch."

The two women stood close, giggling over the memories, while Desiree flipped through a stack of papers. "I swear, Mom keeps _everything._ This is the recipe I made for my sophomore cooking class in high school. No joke."

Sarah whistled. "What did you expect?" she asked. "The attic is so full she doesn't have a choice. She probably has every childhood memento for the three of us."

Before she could agree, Desiree found a folded paper at the bottom of the stack. "This looks new," she observed. "I didn't know Mom was still collecting stuff."

"Don't open it!" Sarah hissed, snatching the page from her sister. "What if it's a love letter from Rossi?"

"Are you kidding?" she said, suppressing a giggle. "He doesn't strike me as someone who writes love letters. He's a bit pragmatic for that. Besides, we've already seen everything else in here. We might as well take a look."

Before Sarah could object, Desiree grabbed the paper and opened it. Expecting to see a grocery list in her mother's handwriting, Desiree's mouth fell open in shock.

"What?" Sarah cried. "Oh god, is it bad?"

"Oh my goodness," Desiree said. "Why does Mom have this tucked away?"

Sarah looked at her sister with a serious expression. "That's because she doesn't want anyone to know what she's up to."

* * *

Derek turned to Fran when Penelope and Rossi left. "I'm not mad," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I just don't know what to say. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

She nodded in understanding. "That's very considerate of you."

"I like Rossi," he said at last. "I do. Of all the men in the world, I definitely trust him not to hurt you. He can protect you too. He's skilled. He's a profiler. I won't have to worry as much about you."

"I sense a but coming."

"But I still have questions," Derek said. He motioned her to a set of chairs nearby. Once they were sitting, he asked: "Answer me honestly. Do you love him?"

"Of course," Fran said. She hadn't expected the question. "He means the world to me. David's the first man to pay attention to me in years and not expect anything in return. He's not like the others."

He nodded, accepting her answer. "Is he being a gentleman?"

"Nothing less of one," she reassured him. "He's perfect. He treats me like a queen. Not to mention he gets on with Sarah and Desiree well. We've had a couple of family game nights here and there. They like playing Monopoly with him."

Derek tried to picture his two sisters playing a board game with Fran and Rossi. It wasn't that far-fetched. He bet they had fun. Especially Sarah, the board game advocate with a bad track record. She almost always lost at games.

"Sarah cheated, didn't she?" Derek asked. "She always does when she's losing."

"Do you really think Rossi would let her?" she said. "He's honed on our behavior just like you are. Maybe even more so since it's not such a conflict of interest for him."

Derek smiled for the first time since getting off the plane. "I'm happy that Rossi's keeping Sarah in line and not letting her cheat." Then after pausing a few seconds: "And I'm happy for you too. Really. It's a big adjustment for me, but I'll work it out."

She nudged him. "It's a little weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "The only guy I ever remember you being with is Dad. Even that's a little hazy. Plus Rossi is my co worker. I never imagined him being a father to me, you know?"

"We're taking it slow," Fran said. "It's easier that way with him in DC and me here. So you have nothing to worry about in regards to anything more serious. He's a long way from becoming your stepdad."

"I'm happy for you anyway, slow or not."

Fran only smiled and leaned against him, happy to be on the right track with Derek again. Not that he calmed down, she could work on getting him and Penelope together.

It was a win-win situation.

 **A/N: Review me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hope you guys love! The drama will definitely be heating up!**

Derek and Fran walked out of the airport then. She linked her arm with his, talking his ear off the whole way to the car.

"Penelope is lovely," his mother was saying. "Absolutely wonderful. She's quite a catch if I do say so myself."

"Thanks," Derek replied. "We're only friends though."

"Are you sure about that?"

 _Here comes the third degree,_ he thought to himself before answering. "Of course," he said. "We've both just recently ended our serious relationships. Neither of us are looking for anything but friendship. Especially not with each other."

Fran, knowing not to push her son, accepted his answer. She didn't want Derek to know her ulterior motive yet. Besides, she still had a few tricks up her sleeve to get the two together. She just needed to enlist Rossi's help first.

Either that or talk to Penelope about how she felt.

They found the car in the last row of the lot. Derek slid into the passenger seat, not saying much to his mom. Fran was content to be alone with her thoughts.

It was obvious that the tech cared deeply for Derek. Her actions screamed it. The concern in her eyes, the way she squeezed his hand before leaving with Rossi… Fran knew that Penelope was in love with Derek too.

So why weren't either of them doing anything about it?

Maybe Penelope is scared of his response, Fran reasoned, slowing at the door of the airport. She put the car in park, and Rossi and Penelope put the bags in the trunk. Then they slid into the backseat.

Breaking the awkward tension, Fran smiled and said: "Sorry for the wait. Derek wanted to be the overprotective son for a while."

Derek grinned at her. "Don't act like you don't love it," he said. "You've been smiling since we left."

"I've been caught," she said and held her hands up. Then to Penelope: "So, how are you liking Chicago so far, Penelope? Does it live up to San Francisco in the slightest?"

"Almost," she said, looking out of the car window as she spoke. "I like it so far though."

Chicago was gorgeous. The bustle of city life kept Penelope energized and on the edge of her seat. She loved it. Tourists seemed to be everywhere, and locals too.

"What's on the agenda for tonight?" she asked.

"Well," Fran started. "Sarah and Desiree are finishing up dinner as we speak. They'll probably want to talk. Derek's told them so much about you. It'll be nice for them to put a face to a name."

"Mom," Derek said in a warning tone. Penelope certainly didn't need to know how much his family already knew about her. Especially his nosy sisters who had bribed the information from them time and time again. They thought his crush was adorable.

Fran giggled under her breath. She could tell he was embarrassed, but a glance at the backseat confirmed her suspicion.

Penelope had no idea how much Derek loved her.

* * *

Sarah and Desiree were sitting at the table trying to make sense of what they'd found.

"Maybe there's a reasonable explanation for this," Sarah said. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

Desiree snorted, knowing there was only one conclusion to draw from these papers. "What else are we supposed to think?" she asked. "That Mom just happened to print these off?"

"We need to talk to her ."

"No," Desiree said. "We can't. If we do, she'll know we were going through her stuff."

Sarah looked back through the papers again, hoping this was some type of mistake. Surely their mother really wasn't that interested in Penelope.

Apparently she was.

According to the papers, Fran had hired a private investigator to look into Penelope's life. It was only an email from the PI and contained nothing they didn't already know, but it was odd. Why did their Mom want to background check Penelope? And, more importantly, did anyone know?

"They're here," Sarah said, peeking out the window at the sound of a car door. "Put that up. You know Mom will be mad if she sees you with it"

Desiree slid the paper into the drawer. She followed Sarah into the living room, and they ran to hug Derek on the porch.

"I missed you, baby brother!" Desiree squealed. "Welcome home!"

Penelope was right behind him, and she offered the two women a small smile. "Hi," she said. "I'm Penelope."

Sarah and Desiree instantly introduced themselves to the blonde, grinning sideways at Derek all the while. It had been a long time since their brother brought a woman home with him.

"C'mon," Desiree said when introductions were done. "Dinner's ready."

The four of them headed into the kitchen, where the table was set and the candles lit.

Derek gave a low whistle. "You two really went all out, didn't you?"

Sarah shrugged. "It was nothing," she said. "Mom had everything sitting out already. I think she wanted the dinner a little nicer than usual for you and Penelope."

As soon as the sentence left her mouth, Sarah locked eyes with Desiree across the table. It seemed like Sarah had figured out her mother's intentions after all. She was trying to set Derek and Penelope up together.

Maybe that's why Fran hired the PI.

* * *

"Who's Ben Lawson?" Rossi asked. He was leaning against the porch post, watching as Fran searched through her purse for her phone.

Fran turned at the sound of the name, trying to hide her expression. "No one," she replied. "Just a friend."

Rossi raised his eyebrows at her. They were still standing on the front porch. The others were inside, probably waiting for them, but Rossi wanted the truth from Fran first.

While he and Penelope were waiting, someone by the name of Ben Lawson had called Fran. Rossi knew because he'd been holding her phone. Apparently the caller was a PI.

"A friend who is a private investigator?" he asked, handing the phone to the woman. "You told me to hold it while you were talking with Derek.

"Look," she started. "I'm not in any trouble. I'm not digging up dirt on an enemy. Can we just let this go?"

"I can't," Rossi said simply. "Not until you tell me just who it is you're investigating. I'm supposed to be protecting you, Fran. I can't do that if you're not honest with me."

The woman looked away from his fierce expression, knowing that coming clean was her only option. Rossi wouldn't allow a secret of this magnitude to be kept private.

"I need your help," she said finally. "I should've asked for it in the first place, but I didn't. I wanted to see what I dug up on my own first. Or what Ben could dig up, anyway."

Rossi didn't say anything. He knew that Fran would get to the point quick enough without his prodding.

"I had Penelope investigated."

" _Why?"_ he exclaimed.

"Because I know that Derek loves her," she said. "And I wanted to see for myself that she is who she says she is. You and I both know that Savannah did a number on him. He can't go through that type of pain again."

"Isn't hiring a private investigator going a little far?" Rossi asked. "You could've just asked me about her. Besides, she's a tech genius and an FBI agent. No one could find much about her that she didn't want them to know."

"I know," Fran replied. "The PI had never seen anything like it. Then again, she was the first FBI agent Ben ever looked up. All he found was the basics, which I already knew from Derek and Facebook."

She looked up at the sky, irritation getting the best of her. "Now I'm back to where I'm started," she grumbled. "I'm just guessing in the dark."

He started laughing. The Italian could hardly control himself. He turned away to regain his composure while Fran stared at him in confusion.

"I'm sorry," Rossi said, trying to catch his breath. "I just don't know who the more overprotective is when it comes to a significant other. You or Derek."

She gave him a look, making Rossi laugh harder. "And your angry face is nearly the same too."

"David Rossi," Fran warned. "Sometimes you make me crazy, you know that?" Then: "Will you help me? Please?"

"With Derek and Penelope?" he asked and she nodded. "Yeah. Besides, I have an idea. Follow my lead."

With that, Fran followed him inside. They found Sarah, Desiree, Derek, and Penelope at the table. They had started dinner without them.

"What were you guys doing?" Derek joked. "I thought you were going to spend the night on the porch."

Rossi glanced at the clock, shocked their conservation lasted that long. It seemed only five minutes had passed.

"Well," Rossi said. "We were discussing sleeping arrangements for the night. It looks like there won't be enough room for you and Penelope to stay here with us. You'll have to get a hotel."

Sarah's mouth fell open in surprise. Knowing this was her cue, Fran ducked out of the room, taking her phone with her. Derek and Penelope didn't notice though. They were focused on Rossi.

"The guest room is open, isn't it?" Derek asked.

"I'm already in it," Desiree piped up, not missing a beat. "I'm staying here for the week. My apartment is being repainted, and the fumes give me bad headaches."

"Seriously? Nice timing, Des."

"I can't help it!" she cried. "A girl can only live with white walls for so long."

"Amen to that," Penelope said and clinked glasses with her. "I completely understand that struggle."

Rossi hid a smile, while Derek inhaled deeply. "Alright," he said. "I'll look into it."

"No need," Fran said, reentering the kitchen. "I just took care of it. You'll be staying at the Holiday Inn two blocks over. Don't worry about cost. Rossi and I are covering it."

Derek looked surprised. "Thank you," he said. "That's very nice."

"It's our pleasure," she replied and pulled Rossi closer to her. "David and I just want you and Penelope comfortable while you're here."

"I appreciate it, Mama."

"There's only one problem," she said. "Since it's Memorial Day Weekend, most of the rooms were already booked there. All but one."

"Which one was that?"

"The honeymoon suite," Fran said, barely able to keep a straight face. "I'm sorry."

Sarah and Desiree stifled laughter into their napkins at Derek's expression. Was it shock? Anger? Disbelief? Poor Penelope could hardly hide her excitement. A room with the man of her dreams? She'd take it.

Knowing she wouldn't get caught, Desiree gave her Mom a thumbs up. Her plan seemed to be working perfectly. So far, so good.

The rest was up to Derek and Penelope now.

 **A/N: Hope you liked the update. The drama isn't over with Derek and Rossi. And of course the next chapter will be ten shades of goodness with Derek and Penelope as well. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Enjoy the chapter!**

Two hours later, Derek and Penelope headed for the hotel. They both needed to rest after a long day of travel, so they said their goodbyes and Fran drove them over. She kept the conversation light and happy, hoping to butter the two up before turning them loose at the hotel.

"Have fun you two!" Fran called out the window when she dropped them off. "Call if you need anything. I'm only a short drive away."

They waved and headed inside, grateful to get away from Fran's incessant chatter for the rest of the night. The older woman was beginning to border on annoying.

After getting the room key and a knowing glance from the receptionist when he saw where they'd be staying, they took the elevator to the third floor where their room was.

Hearts decorated the wood of the door. Even the room key resembled love, and it took everything in Derek's power not to smile about that. _She's just a friend,_ he reminded himself. _This is only for one night. Tomorrow we can look elsewhere for another room. You just have to last until tomorrow morning. You can do it._

Pushing the door open, Derek headed inside with Penelope at his heels. He stopped dead in his tracks, his breath coming out in spurts at the sight.

Penelope gaped at the suite too. The term "honeymoon" did not do it justice, as it was nothing short of magical and perfect. She blinked a few times, taking it all in. Rose petals floated in the heart-shaped jacuzzi, a bottle of wine awaited them at a small table, and the sheets were embroidered with hearts. Even the towels in the bathroom were folded into swans.

"Wow," Penelope finally said. "They really go all out here, don't they?"

"It's Chicago," he said simply, depositing his duffel bag in the corner. He shrugged like it was no big deal. "They tend to do that here."

Wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans, he forced himself to turn away from her. Apparently their close proximity was getting to him, more so that he'd like to admit.

"Want some wine?" Derek asked, motioning to the bottle. Needing the distraction, he scanned the label. "It's your favorite."

"Yes, please," Penelope said, kicking off her heels. Perching herself on the edge of the bed, she watched as Derek filled the glasses. He brought them over and handed her one.

"We need to make a toast," she said. "It's bad luck to drink without one."

He thought for a minute. The first thing that popped in his head was to toast to them. That this trip would bring them closer together, and the way they were supposed to be.

Instead, after a minute, he said: "To my mom and Rossi, may they be very happy together."

Their glasses clinked.

Sipping the cool liquid from the goblet, Penelope noticed Derek was nervous. His posture was stiff, and even his hands shook as he drank.

Wondering what was wrong, she reached out and rubbed his shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked. "You seem a little tense."

Her touch sent shock waves down his spine. Tensing even more, he inched himself away from her. _I will not jump Penelope's bones in this hotel room,_ he chanted mentally to himself. _That wouldn't be fair to either of us. We're friends._

Derek held his breath to block the scent of her perfume. "I'm fine," he answered. "I'm just tired from the day is all."

She nodded, accepting his answer, though she wasn't sure if she believed him. She watched him chug the rest of his drink and pour himself another. Why was he drinking so much? He acted as if something was really bothering him.

If Derek didn't consume enough alcohol, this night would simply hurt him too much. Penelope was so close yet so far away from him. He didn't want to be reminded of what he almost had but didn't.

He was on his third drink when the alcohol hit him. Penelope noticed immediately. She had finished her one and only wineglass, and she grinned at him wickedly.

"Is someone a little tipsy?" she asked. It was a rarity to see Derek that way.

"No," Derek said, trying not to slur. Then, joking: "I'm just talking in cursive."

The blonde only laughed at him, taking their glasses and sitting them in the small sink. "That does it for you," she said. "I'm cutting you off for the night."

"I'm fine," Derek protested. "I can barely feel it, I swear."

"Mhm," Penelope said. "Sure. Tell it to someone who doesn't know your tolerance as well as I do, Hot Stuff."

She plopped down in a nearby chair, determined to check her email while Derek worked through his intoxication. He wasn't up for much conversation.

"Why you so far away?" he slurred, stumbling over to Penelope. "I'm getting lonely over here."

Derek knew he was drunk. Penelope knew too. Yet, here he was, stumbling over to his best friend and practically flopping over on her lap. He had lost control of his actions. Penelope, on the other hand, was still in control of hers...

"You look beautiful tonight," he heard himself saying.

He watched Penelope fight down a blush. "Thank you," she said softly. "That's really kind of you."

The room's atmosphere changed quickly then. One minute Derek was sprawled across Penelope's lap, wondering if anyone more beautiful than her existed in the world or had ever existed. The next they were leaning toward each other with one intention in mind and one intention only.

When his mind caught up to his actions, he freaked.

* * *

Derek jumped up, his face red and his voice shaking. Steadying himself by the edge of the bed, he forced out: "I'm sorry. I got carried away."

Penelope's expression was unreadable. "It's okay," she said. "You've had too much to drink, anyway."

He felt like an idiot then. Why hadn't he just kissed her when he had the chance? The opportunity probably wouldn't present itself again. Besides, he loved her. He couldn't pretend they were just friends forever.

He felt like a thousand miles were in between them then. Could Penelope feel the tension and passion that he did? She didn't seem to. In fact, she didn't seem like she felt anything at all. Not able to read her behavior, it left him clueless.

Derek's mind was in turmoil. He headed for the door, knowing that he needed some space to process what had happened. "I need some air," he said in explanation. "I'll be back soon."

He ducked out, not looking back to see Penelope's reaction or to hear her response.

* * *

Tears filled her eyes the moment he left. Hating herself for crying, Penelope wiped the back of her hand roughly across her cheeks. Drinking wine always left her emotional.

What did she expect anyway? Derek was her best friend and nothing more. She shouldn't let these little things bother her. Derek had too much to drink tonight. He lost control of his actions. While it definitely wasn't fair, Penelope couldn't be mad. He wasn't aware of what he did and how much he hurt her. She should've stopped it before it started.

The annoying voice in the back of her head reminded her that drunk people were often honest people. If Derek tried to kiss her intoxicated, then he likely wanted to do so when sober too.

That tidbit of information unnerved her. Sucking in a breath, she dialed a familiar number, hoping that her friend would answer.

"Jennifer Jareau," came the sleepy response after three rings. Then, when Penelope didn't answer immediately: "Garcia? What happened? Is something wrong?"

"Derek," was all she could say before the tears started again. "He...he tried to kiss me."

JJ paused a minute. "And that's a bad thing?"

"No," Penelope sniffled. "It's wonderful. It's what I've always wanted, but… he pulled away. At the last second, he didn't go through with it."

JJ's eyes widened at the tech's confession. Sitting up in her bed and being careful not to wake Will, she said quietly: "Maybe he was nervous."

She scoffed. "Drunk more like it."

JJ listened as Penelope recounted the evening to her. Derek was nervous, she said. He kept pouring drinks until he was drunk. He fell on her lap and tried to kiss her. Before their lips touched, he came to his senses and realized it was a mistake. Not he was gone, and she was alone.

"I'm not the one he wants," she said. "He's probably embarrassed. That's why he left, I know it."

"Penelope…" JJ tried to start, knowing that embarrassed probably wasn't the correct word to use.

"Don't try to tell me otherwise," she ranted. "I've known it for a while now. Derek's more into the skinny and burnette types. I'm the complete opposite of that."

"I don't think…"

"I'm just so hurt," Penelope wept. "I...I thought that things were changing for us, you know? I thought that's why he invited me out to meet his family."

"Garcia," JJ said, interrupting her before she went off again. "Let me speak. Please." When Penelope didn't start talking, JJ continued: "You need to talk to Derek. Alright? The conversation time for you two has come."

"What do I say?" she whispered. "I don't want him running off again."

"Tell him how you feel," JJ said. "Don't leave anything off the table. Believe me, Derek will be thrilled. Trust me."

"How do you know?"

JJ held her breath, cursing silently. "Nothing, nothing. Just talk with him when he gets back, all right?"

"Okay," she said softly. "Goodnight Jay."

"Goodnight."

When she hung up with Penelope, JJ immediately texted Derek. _Get your act together,_ she'd typed. _If you don't, you're going to lose her forever._

The blonde media liaison knew that Derek loved Penelope. He was just clueless on how to show it. She smiled a little, remembering the conversation her and Derek had the week before about Penelope.

" _When are you going to tell Garcia you're in love with her?"_

 _Derek had whirled around, staring in shock at JJ as if to ask how she knew. It was obvious though. The tell-tale signs were all over his behavior._

" _Probably never," he replied honestly. Then, to JJ's doubtful expression: "I'm a mess when it comes to her. I can't do anything right."_

" _What are you talking about?"_

" _The other night," Derek began. "I invited Penelope over for dinner. You know what happened? I caught everything on fire, even the stuff that seemed impossible to engulf in flames." He stopped suddenly, and if his complexion was lighter, his blush would have showed: "We had to order takeout," he admitted, his expression wounded. "We ate on the porch because the stench was so bad."_

 _JJ struggled not to laugh at Derek's fallen expression. The poor guy only wanted to impress Penelope. He always had. When they first started flirting in their phone calls, he used to mouth what he wanted to say before he dialed her number. He was terrified of messing his words up when she answered._

 _JJ had reassured him that Penelope passed no judgment on his culinary skills. "She can't cook either," the blonde told him. "She lives almost entirely on ramen and cereal, I promise. Make plans with her again."_

It was also JJ who told him to get to know Penelope better. She encouraged Derek to get closer to her, knowing it was the only way either of them would fess up to the way they felt.

Everyone knew the truth. Just not Derek and Penelope.

 **A/N: Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hope you love it!**

When the text from JJ appeared, Derek groaned. Apparently Penelope called her the minute he left. And if JJ felt the need to send him a text, things couldn't be good.

Derek tried to summon the courage to head back inside the room. He couldn't hide out forever. Eventually, Penelope would come looking for him or someone would call security. He was sitting in the corner of the hallway, just a short distance from the elevator. He looked a little sketchy.

He should've kissed her, he realized. Just the thought of her plump and soft lips drove him wild now. Thankful he was alone, Derek glanced down to see his erection obviously showing through his jeans. Hoping Penelope wouldn't come after him, he tried to think of other things. Crime scenes. Dead kittens. Anything to get rid of the swelling in his pants.

No such luck. The thoughts came right back as though they'd never left in the first place. Confessing his feelings was front and center in his mind now, and he knew beating around the bush wouldn't be an option forever. Derek was falling in love with her. They needed to talk as soon as possible.

Had Penelope always been so adorable? Or was there something in the water out here in Chicago that was causing his emotions to go haywire? It seemed that every time he saw Penelope he was seeing her for the first time.

Maybe he should run and take Penelope in his arms, never letting her go again. Or maybe he should head to an all night florist and grab a bouquet of roses to apologize with. Both of those sounded like viable options.

Derek did neither. He simply sat on the floor, looking up at the sky through a window and trying to sort his jumbled thoughts. He needing to think before seeing Penelope again. That he was certain of.

Back in the hotel room, Penelope sprawled out on the bed, trying to will away her thoughts of wanting Derek. It would never happen. Some things simply weren't meant to be.

Maybe JJ was right though. Maybe Derek did feel that way for her.

It certainly explained his behavior tonight. If he was nervous, Penelope could forgive him. It was kind of cute. A definite ego boost for her anyway.

If Derek was so nervous, and that was a major if, it looked like Penelope had to make the first move. He was obviously unable to. Besides, she didn't want to be just friends forever if they both wanted something more. It wasn't fair to either of them.

The wine was making her sleepy now. She wanted to wait up for Derek, but she struggled to stay awake. Maybe he would wake her when he returned. He wasn't exactly the quietest person, and if he woke her up, she could come on to him. Derek wouldn't be nervous if he knew that Penelope felt the same way too.

She shut her eyes then, replaying the evening in her head, and imagining a few scenarios of her own. In a few minutes, she was snoring lightly and dreaming of Derek.

* * *

About an hour later, he trekked up to the third floor. His thoughts were a little less scattered now, but he knew this conversation needed to happen. The sooner the better.

He slipped his key in the door and headed inside, eager to see her and apologize for how he acted.

Derek found Penelope cuddled up in a mass of blankets and pillows. She was asleep. Relief washed over him instantly, and he thanked his lucky stars he wouldn't have to talk to her tonight. Just her presence was enough to make him forget the apology he rehearsed for the last hour downstairs. He would stumble over his words in a heartbeat now.

He settled into his side of the bed, careful not to wake her. He didn't bother looking for his pajamas in fear of waking her up. He wanted her to sleep. Maybe she was dreaming of him, he thought. Maybe she wasn't mad at him after all.

The whole time he wished Penelope was in his arms instead.

The next morning, Derek quickly hit the shower to avoid awkward conversation, as he was certain Penelope knew he almost kissed her the night before. Things were awkward enough without talking about it as soon as they woke up. Besides, he still planned to discuss it with her later when he knew what he wanted to say. That and he was completely awake.

Why was it that Derek didn't know how to woo Penelope into falling in love with him? She was his best friend after all. However, as he was beginning to realize in their close quarters, he didn't know how to impress her. Not even in the slightest. The thought of talking about his feelings terrified him.

If he couldn't court her or properly reveal his feelings, how would she ever fall in love with him?

The answer to Derek was obvious. She wouldn't.

* * *

When she heard the shower turn on, Penelope sprung into action. She had devised a plan the night before to get Derek to confess his feelings.

Penelope was joining him in the shower, invited or not.

Okay. It was a plan she'd made half inebriated and half asleep, but it couldn't hurt. Besides, JJ knew more than what she'd let on. Derek wanted something to happen the night before. Why else had JJ acted strange when the conversation turned in that direction? She must have known something she couldn't say.

Grabbing the spare towel from the counter, Penelope tried the doorknob and found the bathroom unlocked. Almost dancing a jig on the spot, she dropped her robe and headed inside, closing the door softly behind her.

Derek was oblivious to her presence. She stood for a few seconds, admiring his silhouette through the shower curtain. Then she pushed her way inside, grinning at the sight of him nude.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Penelope asked, posing seductively against the tiled wall.

His eyes bugged out of his head. "What are you doing?" he asked, trying not to stare at her massive breasts.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Penelope asked, standing under the spray of the water. "Isn't this what you wanted last night?"

She kissed him before he had the chance to respond. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his, grateful that he was holding her up. Otherwise she would've fallen on the slippery surface.

And it was...It was awkward. TV and movies really had it wrong when it came to couples making out in the shower. Penelope found herself constantly in the stream of water, no matter how she positioned herself or angled her face. The fireworks and passion were still there though, no matter how big a nuisance the drizzle was.

Derek pressed her up against the tiled wall, and trailed kisses down her neck. The shower was small, as most hotel ones were, but it would do.

Not believing his luck, he didn't slow down for a minute, afraid she would change her mind. He buried his face in her breasts, inhaling her scent and marveling at how soft her skin was, all the while trailing kisses toward her stomach.

Penelope gripped at his muscular arms, trying to hide a smirk at how sculpted they were. She pressed herself closer to him. She wanted to take things further, but she wasn't sure how the mechanics would work in such a small space.

This was ten times better than even the dirtiest of their fantasies.

Penelope hadn't realized how long they'd been in the shower. After Derek kissed her neck and breasts, he was working his way down lower when the unthinkable happened.

The water turned freezing cold.

Even though neither of them were directly under the spray, it was impossible to avoid it completely. Apparently the Holiday Inn didn't want an outrageous water bill, so they cut the hot water off after so many minutes of showering.

Derek jumped back into the standing position, struggling to get away from the cold stream. Penelope grabbed the knob to turn the water off just as Derek fell backwards through the shower curtain.

"Derek!" she shrieked, finally finding the right valve to shut off the freezing liquid.

Penelope pushed back the curtain, expecting to see Derek writhing in pain or cursing about falling backwards. Heck, even a pool of blood surrounding him wouldn't surprise her. Instead, he was leaning up on one elbow, grinning at her.

"That was incredible, Baby Girl," he said, a sheepish look on his face.

Penelope climbed out of the tub quickly, her concern evident. "Are you okay?" she cried. "Did you hit your head?"

"I'm perfect," he said and pulled her to him. "I've never been better."

"Derek…" she started but didn't finish. He was too close and too toned for her to resist. Besides, he really did seem okay. Derek spoke with coherency, and he definitely made his point clear. He wanted her.

She was practically laying on top of him at this point, but she resisted his advances. "Not here," Penelope said breathless. Then: "Derek."

They didn't make it far after standing up. Derek managed to open the bathroom door, but they didn't make it back to the heart shaped bed. They wanted each other too much.

They wound up having sex on a pile of towels like two horny teenagers.

* * *

"Where are they?" Sarah complained, glancing at the clock for the upteempth time that hour. "I'm starving. Can't we just go to breakfast without them?"

"They're our guests," Fran pointed out. "Eat a snack if you're hungry. They should be here any minute."

Sarah paced the kitchen again, while Desiree flipped through a magazine at the table. "I'm surprised you even expect them to show up on time, Mom," she said. "I mean, you put them in the honeymoon suite together. That sexual tension had to explode sooner or later."

The sisters erupted in a fit of giggles, while Fran's light skin turned a bright shade of red. "I'll call him," she said. "Maybe he forgot about going out to eat this morning."

Fran dialed Derek's number. Sarah and Desiree shared a knowing glance, knowing the phone would go to voicemail. Fran wasted her time even bothering to call.

"It didn't even ring," she said. "That's strange. Derek always answers his phone."

"Mom," the women cried in unison. How could Fran be so naive? Derek wouldn't answer if he was preoccupied. Especially with Penelope.

Rossi entered the kitchen then. He took one look at Sarah and Desiree and raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Mom keeps calling Derek to invite him to breakfast," Sarah piped up. "But he and Penelope are having sex."

"What?" Rossi yelped. Then: "I definitely didn't need to know that."

Fran was really red now. "Enough," she said to them. "I'll text Derek and let him know we went ahead without them. That way they'll know where to meet us if they're running behind."

Even Rossi snickered at that. "If they even bother to show up, you mean."

It seemed the Italian was fitting in well with the Morgan family.

* * *

"I can't believe we did that," Penelope gasped, struggling to catch her breath after the fiasco. They had moved to the bed now. "That's probably the craziest thing I've ever done."

"What?" Derek asked. Then, teasing: "Have sex?"

She punched his shoulder. " _No_ , have sex on the floor," Penelope said. "I've never done that. Not once."

"At least the towels were dirty."

They laughed together then. Glancing at the clock, Derek groaned. "It's already ten," he said. "We should probably head over to Mom's soon."

"I don't wanna," she said and curled up beside him. "I like staying in bed with you."

"I do too, Baby Girl," he replied. "But I'm afraid my mom and Rossi will come over if we don't get a move on soon."

Suddenly Penelope was on top of him, a wicked grin on her face. "I think we still have time for round two," she said and sunk down on him.

Derek felt himself fall further in love with her then.

 **A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. Hope this lives up to your expectations!**

Derek and Penelope raced up the sidewalk, hoping Fran and the gang wouldn't realize how late they were to breakfast.

"We overslept," he reminded her as he rang the doorbell. "Got it?"

"Yeah," she said. Then: "Good luck convincing your mom of that, Hot Stuff. You can barely sleep past seven. That's even when you t _ry_ to sleep in."

"Shh," Derek whispered. Why had they spent so long in bed doing the deed? He had completely forgotten about his mom inviting them over for breakfast. It was well past this time now.

"What if they ask what we were doing?" Penelope asked, her eyes wide as saucers. "I can't lie! You know it as well as I do. My face turns red and I stutter."

"Just follow my lead," he said reassuringly. "Let me do all the talking."

Desiree opened the door then, a smile instantly transforming her face. "Hey brother," she said knowingly. "You and Penelope decided to have some fun, huh? You're late."

"We overslept," he lied. "We forgot to set an alarm last night because we were so exhausted from traveling. We've only been awake a half hour."

It wasn't necessarily a lie, Derek reasoned. They'd only gotten out of bed about thirty minutes ago. That was only because Derek caught sight of the bedside clock and checked his phone to find three missed calls from his mom.

Derek lied so smoothly that he almost convinced Desiree to believe him. Then she caught sight of Penelope's flaming red cheeks and nervous demeanor. Even though Derek could lie like nobody's business, Penelope wasn't as skilled. That and she never stayed this quiet.

Desiree decided not to push it. She could probably worm the information out of Penelope when Derek went to the bathroom or something. It was best to wait to pronounce.

"We went to breakfast without you guys," she explained over her shoulder, leading them to the kitchen. "We saved you some leftovers though. Enjoy."

She headed back into the living room where everyone was. Laughter echoed through the house along with Desiree's "yeah, that was them, they overslept" statement.

"I think we got away with it," Penelope murmured. "You're such a good liar."

"Sinfully so," Derek replied. "It's only because I know human behavior so well. I know how to manipulate people to believe things. I've seen unsubs do it too."

"We better get in there," Penelope said, peering over her shoulder. "They'll think we're up to something."

"Is that all you're worried about?" he asked, smiling in a certain way at her. "Or are you afraid we'll lose control again?"

She took a step back. "That too," she said. "Tempting me probably isn't wise right now. Otherwise we'll definitely get into trouble."

Laughing under their breath, they piled some food on plates and headed to the living room. They found everyone huddled around the coffee table, playing a card game of some sort. Apparently Rossi was winning.

"What's this?" Penelope asked, taking a seat between Sarah and Desiree. Derek plopped down at the opposite end beside Fran.

"Cards Against Humanity," Sarah said. "It's an adult version of Apples to Apples. Wanna play?"

"Yes!" Penelope exclaimed. "I love this game."

"Really?" she said. "Most people haven't heard of it. Well, people who aren't dirty minded of course."

Rossi covered his mouth, trying not to laugh out loud at their antics. Poor Penelope. The sisters wouldn't let up on her until the truth came out. That he knew.

Desiree quickly dealt the cards and the duo joined in, happy to escape questions about what was up between them. They didn't quite understand it themselves yet. All they knew was that the night before and the past few hours had changed everything. Things were different now, and changing for the better...

Little did they know, everyone's knowing smiles and side glances toward them were not over the game. The family already had their suspicions about Derek and Penelope.

They thought they were adorable.

* * *

After two rounds of the game, the women decided to head out for a walk. Sarah and Desiree wanted to see if Penelope would fess up to her feelings without Derek around to take over conversation for her. That and they wanted to get to know her better. If their brother was interested in a woman, they needed to strike up a friendship and some small talk pronto.

"So," Sarah said, swinging her arms as she walked down the sidewalk. "How was the honeymoon suite, Penelope? Was it awkward?"

Fran shot Sarah a look, but Penelope didn't notice. Avoiding eye contact, she said: "We mainly just slept. We were really tired from the trip. It was a long flight"

She stuck to the story Derek devised earlier. They were tired. Derek slept on the floor. Nothing happened. It was a nice hotel.

"Was the room fancy?" Fran finally asked. "I've always heard things about those suites."

Penelope nodded. "They had a jacuzzi with rose petals floating in it," she said. "The bed was shaped like a heart. Even the towels were folded fancy."

Desiree whistled. "Sounds like you and Derek could have had some fun," she said. "It's too bad that you guys are only friends. That jacuzzi could be a lot of fun…"

"Oh, I don't know," Sarah piped up. "I think I'd be more interested in a shower than a jacuzzi. Those seem a lot more comfortable and bigger."

Now Penelope's face was tomato red, which clued them in that sleeping wasn't the only thing that happened the night before. If they didn't know better, they'd say it was something related to the shower.

The young women stifled their laughter, while Fran attempted to do damage control. She didn't want their talk with Penelope to be a total disaster. Besides, she knew how much Derek cared for the woman.

"What do you think of Rossi and me?" Fran asked. "I haven't had the chance to ask you that yet."

Penelope grinned, happy that the banter was lighter. "I ship it," she said. "You both needed someone to love. I think you guys are cute together."

"Thanks," Fran said. Then, before she could help herself: "I think you and Derek both need someone to love too. You guys are definitely something."

 _Like mother, like daughters,_ Penelope thought glancing at them quickly and away again. They were back at the Morgan house now. They'd only circled the block.

"How did you guys know?" she asked, giving up on the false story. Derek could lie all he wanted, but Penelope was no good at it. Besides, she hated it. She liked these women and didn't want their first impression of her to be a lie.

"Because," Sarah said, putting an arm around her. "You haven't stopped smiling since you got here. And Derek only lies that smoothly when he has something to hide."

"Yeah," Desiree said grinning. "Tell us _everything!_ Are you guys finally together? What happened last night? And everything leading up to it?"

Penelope just smiled around at the women, happy to be in such good company. "Well," she said. "It all started about a month ago at the BAU…"

* * *

"I need to talk with you about my favorite tech," Rossi said. The women had all stepped out, leaving him alone with Derek. "And I know you have some things to say to me as well."

"I do," Derek agreed, turning to face him. Grateful for the privacy between them, he assessed the man's behavior. Then: "You first."

"Look," the older man said, holding up his hands. "I'm ecstatic for you and Penelope. Really. I know how much she loves you. She always has."

"And?"

"You need to be careful," Rossi said. "She's been through a lot with Kevin and Sam. Penelope struggles sometimes, especially in the dating department. I don't want you letting her down or breaking her heart."

"I would never do that," Derek declared. "I love her too much. Penelope means the world to me."

"Are you sure?" Rossi asked. "Sometimes it seems like you don't know how you feel. If you love her so much, why were you dancing with those girls last week? I saw you at the club."

"They didn't mean anything," he said. "They asked me...and, well, I didn't want to hurt their feelings. Besides, it was only a song or two."

"So?" Rossi said. "If you love her, you should've declined."

"It's over now," Derek said. "I can only change the future, not the past. I won't be dancing with other girls in clubs from here on out. I'm committed to Penelope."

It was the incredulous look on Rossi's face that bothered him. Why didn't he believe Derek? He _loved_ Penelope. Besides, how did Derek know that Rossi's intentions were true regarding Fran? His track record with women was just as bad. Three failed marriages, a kid he never knew he had, etc.

"Committed takes a lot of work," Rossi continued. "Are you ready for that? It's harder than it looks, especially for a seasoned bachelor like you."

Now Derek was pissed. Swallowing back a curse word, he tried to find an object to focus on to keep his cool. Otherwise he might wring the man's neck. It was best to avoid that scenario. Rossi might not walk away from it.

He scanned the wall for the photograph of his father. It was his favorite. Derek used to come here just to look for similarities between them. That and to remember the man he barely knew.

Then he noticed the picture had been replaced. It was nowhere to be found, not even tucked away in a drawer.

A picture of Rossi hung in its place. The man who was giving him a hard time over Penelope when he wasn't much better. Did he deem himself higher than Derek's father when it came to Fran?

Rossi followed his gaze to the picture. "Ah," he said. "I see you've found my early anniversary present to Fran. Do you like it? I think it complements the room nicely. Definitely more than that other old photo."

Derek lost his mind then.

"You can't take the place of the man who raised us," Derek yelled. "You _won't._ I'll never let you do that to my father."

"What are you talking about?" Rossi asked. "We're just talking about a silly picture. That and Penelope. What's your problem?"

"Now it's my turn," he snapped. "I want to talk about you now. Where's my father's picture?"

"Fran took it down."

"Did you tell her to?" Derek yelled, his voice booming through the house. "Or did you decide it was okay to come in someone's household and rearrange them?"

Sarah and Desiree ran in the house at the sound of raised voices. Penelope and Fran were still outside by the mailbox, oblivious to the drama.

"I never…"

"My father was a great man," Derek continued to yell. "He was a wonderful father, an accomplished cop, and a committed husband. Two of those things you'll never be."

Rossi practically snarled at him. "Your father was nowhere near perfect," he said. "It's time you realize that and stop putting him on a pedestal. That's part of your problem. The man had flaws, Derek."

"Stop it," Sarah begged. The men were scaring her and Desiree. "Please."

"Stay out of this," Rossi barked at them. "This is between me and Derek."

It took Derek only a few seconds to react. He immediately grabbed Rossi in a death grip, almost lifting the Italian off his feet and slammed him into the wall behind him.

"You better watch yourself," Derek snarled. "You've overstepped with me big time. My father made some mistakes, but you're out of place to call them out, especially with your track record. Not to mention talking to my sisters like that. What are you going to do when Mom finds out?"

Desiree and Sarah were tugging at Derek's arms, trying to loosen his grip on Rossi. Their brother was scaring them, and they certainly didn't want Fran to see them fight. She could be fragile.

"Track record?" Rossi asked and smirked. Then: "I don't think you're in the right place to call a man out for the number of women he's been with. After all, you've had quite the entourage through the years."

"I…"

"I've seen you in clubs," the man continued. "Women practically drool at the sight of you dancing. Not to mention the ones you take home and never call back.

That was all it took for Derek to deck the shit out of him.

* * *

A howl of pain caught Fran and Penelope's attention immediately. They looked at the house and back at each other. Then they took off running to see what was wrong.

Penelope was at Fran's heels, but she saw the blood before she did.

"Oh my god!" Fran shrieked. "What happened?"

Rossi was crumpled to the floor, howling in pain and blood spurting everywhere. Sarah and Desiree were crouched over him, asking him questions and trying to stop his nose from bleeding anymore.

Fran was instantly at his side. "Dave?" she asked. "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor? Is your nose broken?"

With her stream of questions, Fran didn't notice that Derek was in the corner, holding his hand with a pained look on his face.

Penelope walked over to him. "What happened?" she whispered. Then: "Did he attack you?"

He only looked wildly at the man and then at Penelope. "You could say that," he said.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter up soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: There was a typo in the last update. Rossi was punched in the nose. Not kicked. Sorry for the error. Enjoy the update!**

"You never told him," Rossi said quietly, so only Fran could hear him. They were in the kitchen now, and she passed him some tissues to use as a tourniquet. The blood still spurted from his nose, but it was slowing now.

"No," she said. "I didn't. I figured one surprise per trip was enough."

Rossi looked at the older woman in surprise. "You could've told him about his father anytime in the last twenty years, you know. If Derek ever finds out, he'll think you lied to him."

Fran didn't answer at first. She peered at Rossi's nose, gently touching the area around it. "I don't think it's broken," she said, trying to change the subject. "You're not swelling or turning black and blue. We'll keep an eye on it though."

"Fran?"

She averted her eyes, not wanting to look at Dave for any reason. If she did, she would fall apart. She simply could not tell Derek the truth about his father. It would ruin him. They were too much alike for the truth not to destroy him and make him question everything.

"Look at me," Rossi commanded, walking over and holding her in place. She complied. "The truth is supposed to set you free. At least that's what I've heard anyway. You need to tell Derek, Desiree, and Sarah the truth about their father."

Fran only closed her eyes, as if the thought of telling them was simply too much for her to bear.

 _Two weeks earlier, Fran told Rossi everything about her late husband. There were some things she'd never told anyone, not even her own children. She kept silent to avoid questions. She didn't have to remember if she didn't talk about it._

 _Fran still remembered perfectly though._

 _Her children never knew that their father suffered from PTSD. They also didn't know that sometimes their father attacked Fran when he lapsed into another world. He would hit her, thinking she was a criminal, and have no recollection when he became alright again._

 _Fran wanted him to see someone. A therapist, for instance. "Maybe you should take some time off," she would suggest. "You need a break, Charlie."_

 _He wouldn't stop. "I have lives to save," Charlie said. "If I don't work, lives will be lost and criminals on the prowl. I'm fine."_

 _Charlie never believed her when she told him about his fits. Sometimes it was simply night terrors. The kids knew about those because they could hear him yelling and screaming. They would always crowd in the doorway while Fran struggled to wake him up and calm him._

 _It was always when the kids weren't around, thank goodness, that Charlie relived the most traumatic cases he worked on._

 _Sometimes it was late at night when they watched television. A kid or adult would get hurt or kidnapped on screen and Charlie would freak. He'd become violent. He punched her in the face once, all the while swearing that she was a crazy kidnapper from a decade before._

" _Charlie, please," Fran would beg, trying to bring him back. "Snap out of it."_

 _These phases could last a few minutes or hours, depending on his stress level and mood before going into it. It could be when they were waiting in traffic or playfully arguing. It could be when one of the kids smarted off and upset him. His annoyed emotions triggered his memories, and it was impossible to know which one would pop up next._

 _One time Charlie chased a car for ten miles before he realized what he was doing. It was just him and Fran in the car. They were on their way to pick Derek up from school. He'd been in a physical altercation with another boy, and Charlie was beyond pissed at his son._

 _Fran feared for her life that day._

" _You need help," she told him later. The kids were asleep upstairs. "You need to see someone or go to a facility that can help. You've seen things I can't even imagine. It's okay not to be okay."_

" _I'm fine," he mumbled, looking at her like she was crazy. "Stop worrying."_

 _Fran spent the next few weeks living in a charade of fear. She stayed away from Charlie whenever she could. She slept in the guest room. She tried to keep him happy to avoid the flashbacks._

 _Two weeks later, he was dead._

When Fran admitted all of this to Rossi, he took her in his arms and swore to protect her. As if she needed protecting. Charlie Morgan had been buried for years and years now. It wasn't like he would come through the door and hurt her again.

Regardless, Rossi wanted Fran to live her life without fear. He didn't want her to avoid certain topics of conversation or refuse to look at picture albums because of the memories that haunted her. No one deserved that.

The picture in the living room, the one Derek loved, was the one Fran couldn't stand. She only put it out when Derek came to visit, careful not to look at it the entire time. Charlie's eyes in the picture reminded her of the man she didn't know at all. The one the PTSD episodes triggered.

"It's the look in his eyes," she said in explanation when Rossi asked. "It's glassy. It's not how he looked before…"

Rossi told her to be selfish. "If it bothers you, put it away," he said. "Or let Derek take it to Virginia with him and keep it there. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable in your own home."

So Fran tucked it away in the basement. The relief she felt was undeniable although guilt was also there. It wasn't like Charlie wanted to hurt her.

But he had.

She replaced the picture with one of Rossi. He made her happy. Just the sight of the photo was enough to make her smile. It was a great one of him.

She knew Derek would be upset if he noticed the picture was missing. It was his favorite. Yet, now that it was gone, she knew she would never put it back out. She would refuse. Derek could do whatever he wanted with it. She wouldn't look at it again.

Fran loved Charlie. She always had and always would. She never spoke a bad word about him to anyone, yet she knew Rossi had a point. She needed to tell Derek and his sisters the truth. That their father had been fighting his demons for a long while before his untimely death.

Sometimes she wondered if Charlie would've killed her if he hadn't died.

* * *

Rossi knew he messed up. You never said anything bad about a man's father, even if the father was in the wrong. Especially when that said man watched his father die.

Rossi wasn't remembering that tidbit though when Derek asked about the picture. He remembered what Fran told him about Charlie.

" _He hit me a few times," she said. "I'd wear makeup to hide the bruises from the kids. When I showed them to him, he got angry. He thought I was lying. Charlie thought I was the crazy one. 'How could you accuse me of such a thing? I love you!' he'd say. I'd feel awful."_

" _This," Rossi started, gathering her in his arms. "is not your fault in any way. Lots of people in law enforcement and the military go through these experiences. Charlie dealt with his traumas in the wrong way."_

 _She sniffled. Fran was crying now. "I should've told someone," she said. "If I had, he would've been getting help instead of working that day. Charlie wouldn't have been shot. Derek wouldn't have witnessed it."_

 _Rossi, in that moment, realized how much guilt Fran truly carried with her. She thought she hadn't done enough to save Charlie. That if she contacted someone or forced him to listen that he wouldn't have died. She believed wholeheartedly that his death was her fault, no matter how ludicrous it was._

" _There's no way to know that," Rossi finally answered. "You just need to be honest with yourself first, and then we can worry about telling the kids later. They need to know. They deserve to know, especially Derek."_

Fran had removed pictures of Charlie with a certain look in his eyes from all over the house. He looked normal to Dave, but Fran was insistent that the glimmer was what she saw when he hit her.

"I can't stand the memories," was all she said when Dave asked about the change.

It was like a dam burst in her head when she told Rossi. She remembered things she repressed for years. All the times Charlie hurt her. All the times his yelling woke her and the kids up and they cowered in the corner, afraid to go near him in fear of getting hurt. Why couldn't Derek remember those times? Was he simply too young, or were the memories buried too deep?

"I'm sorry," Rossi said to her now. "I didn't mean...I didn't mean to attack him verbally like that. But when he wanted to know where Charlie's picture was, I lost it. He just kept defending him. I know I was stupid and wrong. I just...I wanted him to know the truth. I didn't want him thinking that Charlie was perfect. He punched me before I had the chance..."

"I forgive you," she whispered. "But we need to talk to Derek and the girls. No one is the villain here. You or Charlie. I know you just want to protect me, and I love you for that."

"I love you too," Rossi managed, wincing as the pain in his nose got worse.

* * *

"Did you break your hand?" Penelope prodded, trying to get a good look at the hand Derek used to punch the daylights out of Rossi.

"No," Derek replied through clenched teeth. "Bruised it, maybe. I'm fine."

"What happened?" she whispered, touching his hand gently. "Why did you hit him?"

It was at her words that his face contorted in anger and hurt. She wanted to crumple at his expression, but she only held his gaze until he answered.

"He said things about my father," Derek said. "Crazy things. That he wasn't perfect. That...that I put him on a pedestal."

Penelope stared at him in shock. That didn't sound like the Rossi she knew and loved at all. It sounded like a stranger. "How would he know?"

"He's probably jealous," he said. "He wants me and my sisters to like him better, I guess. I don't know. I was shocked too."

"Is that all he said?" Penelope asked. "What were you talking about? It's kind of random to bring up your father."

Before Derek could respond, Sarah and Desiree came back. They had gotten an ice pack and looked for the photograph. They couldn't find it anywhere. The two of them hadn't even noticed it was missing. "Here," Desiree said. "Try to keep the swelling down."

Derek gave her a doubtful look. "I know you're pissed and injured," she said. "I'm mad too. I did go to nursing school though. Use the icepack. It helps."

He obliged. He hissed a little when the ice came in contact with his raw skin, and Penelope rubbed his shoulder in support.

The four of them moved to the couch. They all began to talk at once, trying to decipher Rossi's motives in upsetting Derek. Did he want attention? Did he know something they didn't? Or was he just simply jealous?

"Mom better be giving him a hard time," Sarah said darkly. "I am beyond mad right now. Boyfriend or not, he doesn't have the right to put our father down a peg. End of story."

"Amen," Desiree said.

Derek kept the icepack on his hand while the sisters discussed and exhausted the possibilities. Fran was in the other room with Rossi, probably trying to worm his motives out of him.

He didn't know what to think. It had all happened so fast. One minute the conversation centered on Penelope and the next his father was in the middle.

He couldn't fathom Rossi's reason for behaving that way in the slightest.

Penelope sat beside Derek, asking every now and again if he was alright. She was too shocked to do much else.

Why would Rossi react like that? More importantly, why had he badmouthed Derek's father? It was completely out of character for him. Rossi could be rude at times, but he never tried to intentionally hurt anyone. At least not that Penelope knew of.

It just didn't make sense to her. Not in the slightest. Unless Derek wasn't telling her something that she needed to know.

* * *

After Penelope confided in Rossi a few weeks before, he was pissed on her behalf. Sam not only broke his favorite tech's heart, he killed her self confidence.

Her breakup with Kevin had been bad enough without adding another bad one to the list in such a short time.

Sam told Penelope that he wasn't attracted to her anymore. Heck, he even tried to change her. He wanted her to tone down the outfits. To stop talking the way she did on the phone. Eventually Penelope had enough and cut him off for good.

Rossi felt horrible for her. When she confided this to him at the club, his heart felt heavy in his chest. She reminded him so much of Fran when she confided about Charlie. That's what pissed him off the most.

These two wonderful women were hurt by men who were supposed to care for and love them.

She seemed to bounce back quickly. After a few days of moping around, Penelope's spunk was back and Rossi was happy for her. She was pulling through it like a trooper.

She also confided that she wanted to move on with Derek. From what the Italian witnessed, it seemed the two had some feelings to figure out. Penelope obviously loved him and wanted a commitment. But, Derek, on the other hand, was iffy.

He danced with other girls when the team went to the club. Even after spending the week with Penelope, he was still parading other women in front of her. Rossi could tell it hurt Penelope.

" _You could always ask him to dance," Rossi suggested, watching as the bachelor began dancing with yet another girl. An attractive one at that._

" _No thanks," Penelope replied. "I'm not one for dancing."_

 _The tech checked out then. She wanted to go home and get some rest. It was an excuse to get away and not witness Derek's behavior, Rossi knew._

 _That's when Rossi started getting mad at Derek. Couldn't he see that this woman was in love with him? It was almost painful to watch._

Between his anger with Derek and worries over Fran and Charlie, it was no wonder Dave's pent up anger exploded. He just wished it hadn't resulted in violence. The last thing he wanted was to alienate Fran from her son.

He had to fix this. He had no choice.

 **A/N: I wanted this chapter to be more backstory than anything. The next update will focus on Rossi and Derek as they try to work things out. Don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sometimes, love can outweigh hate, and that is exactly what has happened with this story. Thanks so much to everyone for their kind words. It means the world. I hope you guys enjoy this two chapter treat for your kindness.**

Taking a deep breath, Rossi squared his shoulders and followed Fran into the living room. He was immediately met by death glares and angry tension. Oh, how he deserved it though. He was lucky not to be injured further.

Counting his lucky stars, he held his hands up. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know it doesn't begin to explain anything, but I was out of line. I hope you can accept my apology, Derek."

Everyone looked from Rossi to the young man. Derek was slouched over, fists clenched, almost ready to attack again at any second. Rossi suddenly worried that Derek could jump over the coffee table with ease.

He only nodded, not even looking Rossi in the eye. He definitely didn't want to lose his temper with the Italian again. He might break Rossi's nose this time around.

"Derek?" Fran said timidly, her voice breaking through the awkwardness. "I need to talk to you. Could you step outside a minute?"

He obliged. He instantly rose to his feet, muttered something inaudible to Penelope, and followed his mom out onto the porch. Everyone watched the door close behind them.

The room was eerily silent again. Would Fran defend Rossi to Derek?

Penelope and Sarah talked quietly among themselves, while Desiree sat at the other end of the couch. She seemed to be in her own world. Possibly too angry to talk to anyone, including her sister.

Rossi sat in the only arm chair in the living room, hoping the women wouldn't attack him all at once. He already felt horrible. Besides, his nose was still bleeding a little and bruises were quickly forming across his cheekbones. He was sure to have a black eye tomorrow. Possibly even two.

"You found out," Desiree said softly, much too low for the other women to hear. She looked over at Rossi with a certain look in her eyes that clued Rossi in. Desiree knew the truth about Charlie.

"You know?" he murmured and she nodded sadly. "How did you find out?"

"I always knew," Desiree said. "I was the oldest when he died. At thirteen, there wasn't much that Mom could get past me. Derek and Sarah were another story though. They were young."

Rossi only stared at her for a minute before motioning to the hallway. The two wordlessly got up and headed to a different room for privacy.

"I'm sorry Des," Rossi said genuinely. "I truly am. I never meant to attack Derek or your father. I just...I didn't want Derek to believe a lie."

Desiree walked over to a window. She stared out at nothing in particular. Finally, she replied: "I know you didn't mean to lose your temper. I don't blame you in the slightest. It's a hard subject for any of us to talk about without getting upset."

She let her words hang in the air between them for a minute, then continued: "I know you love my mother. You only want her to let go of the past. I want the same for her."

"She still loves your father, you know," Rossi whispered. "Just because she puts his pictures away doesn't mean she never loved him. She always will."

Desiree pressed her lips together. "I know," she said. Then: "I just… I still remember them fighting. I remember waking up to find them going at it. Dad didn't look right. He looked...demented."

"That's common with PTSD," Rossi offered, not knowing how else to reply. "The victims aren't aware of what they're doing or what's happening around them. That's probably why his eyes looked funny to you."

She sniffled, her emotions getting the best of her. "I know," she whispered. "I knew he was sorry too. I heard him apologize for hitting her the next day, even though he couldn't remember doing it himself. Somehow, toward the end, he could remember some of his lapses. Not all of them, of course, but some."

Rossi rubbed her shoulder, not breaking eye contact for a second with Desiree. He had a bad feeling her story would only get worse from here. The young woman was about to fall apart at any minute.

"That's not the worst thing I witnessed," she continued. "Sure, I saw my father hit my mother. I watched my Mom lie to us and hide her pain. I can't even begin to explain how painful that was for me. But the worst thing wasn't watching Mom and Dad fight."

"What was it?" Rossi asked, his voice tight. What was Desiree going to tell him?

"One time Dad relapsed on me," she whispered. "I skipped soccer practice to smoke, and Mom was out with Derek and Sarah grocery shopping. I thought I was in the clear. That I wouldn't get caught."

Desiree sucked in her breath suddenly, as if the memory was too much to bear. Then she slowly continued: "Dad came home from work an hour early. He usually didn't come home until seven on Tuesdays, but that day was different. He found me in my bedroom smoking because he smelled it. He went crazy, and he...He went absolutely ballistic."

"Desiree," Rossi breathed, unable to say anything else, but afraid to let her go on. What did Charlie do to her? Desiree was practically shaking at this point, and all Rossi wanted to do was comfort her and make the pain go away.

"He just lost his mind, you know?" she said. "Mom would've too if she caught me. I was only thirteen, and I had no business buying cigarettes or smoking them. I knew that."

"What happened?" he asked, urging her on. Then: "Desiree, what is _it?"_

She looked up at last. "He almost killed me," she said. "If Mom hadn't come home, he would've. I know it."

Then Desiree lost it. She crumbled to the floor and buried her face in her hands. "He didn't mean to," she said. "I know he didn't. But he still hurt me. I begged and yelled at him to snap out of it, but it didn't do any good. He was long gone..."

Before Rossi could offer some comfort or reassurance, she started talking again. Desiree swallowed loudly and forced the next words out. "Dad kept yelling and dragging me around the basement," she whispered. "It was the smell of cigarettes that made him relapse."

"Cigarettes?" Rossi asked in confusion.

"There was a case," Desiree explained. "during the beginning of his career he worked on that involved a woman. She killed a bunch of women in the community. It was horrific."

"And?"

"Well, when Dad found that woman, she was smoking and laughing at his officers when they saw the amount of bodies. It scarred him. It changed the way he felt about his job. Well, about everything, really."

Suddenly Rossi caught on to what Desiree was trying to say. She didn't have to finish her story because he already knew the end. Charlie thought Desiree was that woman because of the cigarette smoke.

"Did...did Charlie?"

"Yeah," she said brokenly. "He thought I was her."

"What did he do?" Rossi asked. "To the both of you?"

Desiree averted her eyes. "Dad killed that woman when he found her," she whispered. "She didn't have a weapon or anything, but the community wanted her dead. She would've gotten the death penalty, anyway. So he shot her to avenge the deaths."

At first, Rossi didn't understand what Desiree was trying to say. She definitely didn't want to admit what Charlie did point blank. It was too horrific. That case with the crazy lady was the lowest point in his career.

Then Rossi caught on.

"He tried to kill you too," he whispered in horror. "Oh my god, Des."

Desiree nodded fiercely. She was sobbing so loudly that Sarah and Penelope could hear her in the other room. The tears just wouldn't stop though. She hadn't spoken of the incident to anyone in the last twenty years.

The only thing Rossi could do was hold the hysterical woman as she sobbed and relived that night in her head.

 _It seemed like only yesterday Desiree Morgan was the rebellious teen on the block looking to upset her parents in any way she could think of._

 _Smoking was a habit she picked up at school. Most of the other kids were trying it, and she was desperate to fit in. She could barely stand her home life anymore, especially when her father was there and acting like he did. It terrified her. It made her want to run away._

 _Desiree always went to soccer practice on Tuesdays. She wasn't the star player by any means, but she was decent for her age group. She usually scored a goal or two per game._

 _Fran dropped her off at four that day, and Desiree told her to head on home. She didn't need a ride, she said. She had plans._

" _I can ride with Jodie," Desiree said, hopping out of the car. "She only lives on the next street over from ours. It's no big deal."_

" _Are you sure?" Fran asked, leaning forward to peer at her daughter. "It's no problem to pick you up, Des. I'll already be out."_

" _I'm sure," she said, smiling. "Bye guys!"_

 _She didn't even go onto the field. As soon as her mother turned off the block, she trekked the two miles home quickly, knowing her mother used this time to run errands. Besides, Derek had a dentist appointment too. Desiree had time to smoke._

 _She used her key to get inside and raced up to her room. She reached under her mattress and pulled out the pack of cigarettes she kept stashed away from her mother and siblings._

 _She opened the window to let the stench out as she smoked. If her mother smelled cigarette odor, she would know it came from Desiree. Sarah and Derek were much too young to do such things._

 _The cigarette was half gone when Charlie's truck pulled in the drive._

 _Desiree hadn't heard him pull in. Her radio blasted at her bedside, filling the room with music and ridding it of other sounds. She had no idea her father was home._

 _He came to her door and knocked. He knew she was supposed to be at soccer practice, but her music was off when she wasn't there, so she had to be home. When Desiree didn't answer, Charlie walked in to find his 13 year old smoking out the window._

 _When Desiree turned around to see Charlie, she almost fell out the window._

Sarah and Penelope stood in the hallway, listening to Desiree's heartbroken sobs, and they cried along with her. This was horrible. Absolutely worse than either of them could ever imagine.

It definitely didn't excuse Rossi's behavior by any means, but Penelope suddenly understood Fran's actions more. Why she never talked about Charlie. Why his pictures were gone. Why she was protective of Rossi today.

Was she telling Derek right now? My goodness, how would Penelope support him through this? He idolized his father. His PTSD didn't make Charlie a bad person, but Derek would definitely be going through emotional turmoil. His father had hurt his mother and sister.

That was a lot to deal with. Even Penelope knew that as she listened to Desiree start to speak about Charlie again. It would take everyone a long time to recover from this, if they ever did.

 _It took him only a second to snap._

" _Do you realize what you did to those women?" Charlie yelled, throwing the pack of cigarettes across the room. Desiree watched in fear as her father lost his mind completely._

" _YOU killed them," he yelled directly in her face. "You murdered them in cold blood."_

 _Desiree had dropped the burning cigarette out the window when Charlie had entered. At first, she thought he was joking with her. The look in his eyes hinted otherwise though."_

" _What?" she asked, somehow finding her voice. "Dad, are you okay?"_

" _This isn't about me!" he roared. "It's all about you and the pain you've caused this town."_

 _Desiree started to back up and run away, but Charlie caught her by her hair. "Stop it, Dad!" she yelled, trying to worm her way free. "Let me go! It's me!"_

 _Charlie practically drug her down the stairs and into the basement. Desiree yelled and kicked at him, but it did no use. Her father was stronger. It was like punching a cement wall over and over, and Desiree suddenly knew this was bad. He couldn't be stopped._

 _He forced her to stand and look at things that only he could see._

" _Look at this," he yelled, pointing at empty space. "That's where you tortured them. You chained them up and let them starve. While they begged you for food, all you did was smoke methanols and laugh at them while they died."_

 _He jerked her the opposite way. "Look at their mangled corpses," he said. "Why? Why did you kill these innocent people? Were you jealous?"_

 _Desiree was sobbing uncontrollably. "Daddy, please. It's me. It's Desiree. I promise it's just me. Please snap out of it, Daddy."_

 _He threw her against the wall in disgust. "You are a criminal, no doubt about it."_

 _Charlie started to pace then and swore like no tomorrow. Desiree, trying to get a grip on her emotions, started to think of an escape plan. If she could make it to the staircase, she might make it out alive, but what if Charlie was faster than she was? He was certainly stronger, though age was on her side._

 _When Charlie stalked across the room, Desiree watched in horror. He went to his gun cabinet and put in the combination._

 _It didn't take a genius to know how this flashback would end._

 _Charlie had the gun out within seconds. Desiree only caught some of his words in her panic._

" _Town wants you dead...Somebody's gotta do it… They gonna kill you in prison, anyway… Trust me, this is the better way to go…"_

 _It was then that Desiree knew she was going to die. The bullets were loaded now, and Charlie cocked the gun at her, ready to shoot._

" _Any last words?" Charlie asked. "I should probably let you do at least that. Last words are always memorable, even from criminals."_

" _Yes, actually," Desiree said and moved closer to him. She hated herself for what she was about to do, but it had to be done._

 _When Charlie glanced away for a second, Desiree reacted. She kicked him as hard as she could in the groin, and watched him sink to the floor in agony._

 _Then she clawed the gun out of his hands and ran._

 _Desiree didn't stop until she reached the living room. She froze when she saw her mother and siblings crossing the porch to come inside. What if Charlie tried to kill them too? They were all going to die at this rate._

 _She put the gun behind the couch just as Fran unlocked the door. "Hey you," the redhead said when she spotted her daughter. "You're home early, aren't you?"_

 _Desiree nodded, her throat tight and body rigid. She could hear Charlie coming up the stairs now, and she was practically lifeless. This was the end of life as she knew it…_

 _As soon as Charlie appeared in the living room, Sarah and Derek ran and jumped in his arms. The demented look was gone at once. Maybe it was their childish shrieks and giggles that brought him back._

" _Hey kiddos," CHarlie was saying. "How was your day at school?"_

 _Desiree looked away, not able to stomach him at the moment. How could he snap back so easily and forget what just happened? He had almost killed her. If she hadn't ran away, she would be dead right now._

 _Desiree felt like she hated him then. Without a word to anyone, she stormed upstairs and threw the cigarettes away._

 _She never smoked again after that. Heck, she didn't even have withdrawals to the horrendous stuff._

Rossi continued to hold one of Desiree's hands as she finished her story. Finally, she took a gasping breath and stopped talking. "That's basically it," she whispered a minute later once she recovered. "Dad did remember later on though"

"Really?"

She nodded. "After ten minutes, he suddenly came upstairs to apologize," she said. "I was so mad at him. I couldn't understand why he was just apologizing. He almost _killed_ me. I thought he was crazy. I was too young to understand he wasn't doing it on purpose."

"Did you tell Fran?" Rossi asked gently.

Desiree shook her head. "No," she said. "I was afraid to. I didn't want Dad sent away somewhere or for us to move away from him. I knew that Derek and Sarah needed him, even if I didn't."

"Was that all that happened?"

"Yes," she answered. "After he tried to get me to listen, I yelled at him to go away. He did. Dad went back to work that night. I heard him tell Mom he wanted some overtime, and Derek begged to go with him. He liked riding in the police car. Being in law enforcement was all he ever wanted."

Rossi stared at her. "Desiree, wasn't that the night…?"

She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Dad was shot that night and killed. Derek watched it happen."

All Rossi could do was stare at her in shock. Before Desiree could start crying again, Sarah and Penelope were in the room and asking a thousand questions about her encounter with Charlie.

How in the heck had this ever been kept secret?


	10. Chapter 10

Derek and Fran were on the porch swing, letting the wind and their feet decide the speed. Fran titled her head to the side, trying to find a way to tell Derek everything.

It wasn't easy to find the words. Nothing sounded quite right to the redhead, who suddenly wished Derek didn't have to find out at all. He loved his father. Knowing the things that Charlie did would only ruin his perception of the man he admired.

"I'm sorry about Rossi," she said finally. "He had no right to badmouth Charlie or attack you. I'm not mad at you at all, I promise."

"I'm sorry too," Derek said. "I know how much you hate violence. I shouldn't have punched him. I was wrong to do that. I was just so mad…" His voice trailed off.

"Derek," Fran started, unsure of how to begin. "About your father…"

"He cheated on you, didn't he?" Derek interrupted. "That's why you can't look at his pictures, isn't it?"

"What?" Fran sputtered. Derek had caught her off guard. What did he know about the pictures?

"Rossi said you put them away," he explained. "It makes sense if Dad cheated. You haven't dated anyone the last twenty years."

"You think I put his pictures away because of an affair?" Fran asked in disbelief. "Derek, how could you think such a thing?"

"People act this way after a trauma," he said. "The way you act about Dad indicates something horrible happened. That was just my first guess."

"Your father never cheated," Fran said, touching Derek's hands. "It was something else that happened between us. Can I explain now?"

All Derek could do was nod. What in the heck, if not infidelity, could it be?

Slowly, Fran told him about Charlie. That the devoted father he remembered was suffering toward the end of his life. That he battled PTSD and other emotional traumas. That sometimes, unbeknownst to him, he hurt his family in ways unimaginable.

"I loved him," she said at last. "You know that I did. I begged him to see someone. To talk to anyone about his memories at headquarters. Charlie didn't believe me though. He thought I was crazy because he couldn't remember."

"What did he do, exactly?" Derek asked. "I know that he remembered the crimes, but did he...Well?"

"He hit me a few times," Fran admitted. "We got into fights. Sometimes a little thing could make him go back in time."

"He hit you?" Derek asked in disbelief. " _Why?"_

"Charlie never meant to hurt me," Fran said. "He thought I was someone else. Certain things could trigger his episodes, and we never knew when the next would happen."

Derek only stared at his mother, his heart heavy in his chest. His father had abused her. The wonderful woman before him had feared the man he admired most in the world. It hurt like nothing else before it.

"Did he ever hurt us?" Derek asked. "Me, Sarah, or Desiree?"

"Yes," she whispered. "He hurt Desiree once. He usually only relasped around me, but once Desiree was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Charlie tried to kill her."

"What?" Derek boomed. "Why?"

"He relived his most traumatic case," she said. "Desiree didn't even tell me for years. He pulled a gun on her and everything. She was terrified. She wanted to keep the family together."

Before he could respond, Derek realized something important. He _remembered_ Charlie's crazy behavior.

Derek suddenly recalled their fighting clearly, as if he'd always known about it. In the childish memory, he was scared and watching from afar as his parents fought and his father ranted. Still, though, Derek felt confused and afraid regardless of how long ago it had happened.

He _saw_ that Charlie was suffering. Derek was barely five when he witnessed his father slapping his mother, but it was enough to scare him to bits.

 _Derek was supposed to be asleep. Fran always made sure to get the kids to bed before eleven, but there was a thunderstorm brewing outside. Derek was terrified._

 _He slowly climbed down the stairs, half dragging a blanket along with him. He didn't want to be in trouble for waking up, but he needed comfort. Fran could soothe him to sleep easily._

 _Derek paused at the bottom of the stairs. His parents were still in the living room, watching some kind of TV show, so Derek stopped to rub his eyes. The light was on and it was hard to see._

 _His father looked extremely angry with his mother._

" _Please," Fran was begging. "You'll wake the kids up, Charlie. It's just thunder."_

 _His father was on his feet and running into the kitchen. "Bullshit," Charlie said. "I know it was a gunshot. Adkins has found us apparently and wants revenge."_

" _Adkins isn't here," Fran said. "You can see the rain out of this window. Look here."_

 _Charlie wouldn't look. He was loading a gun. Every time the thunder boomed in the sky, he yelled another curse word. Derek didn't know how Sarah and Desiree could sleep through the argument. It was awful._

 _His father was struggling to open the front door. Derek leaned closer and saw his mother blocking the entrance._

" _Put the gun away Charlie," she said. "We need to go to bed. Adkins isn't here, and it's only thunder that you hear. C'mon."_

" _Are you some kind of traitor?" Charlie yelled, trying to remove Fran from the doorway and failing. "Dammit Francine. I have to protect my family."_

" _And so do I!" she cried, knocking the gun out of his hands. "If you go outside with a weapon, your children will grow up without a father. You will be arrested for acting like a lunatic. Snap out of it, Charlie!"_

 _His father did not resurface. Instead he slapped Fran as hard as he possibly could._

 _Derek bit back a cry as Fran hit the floor. She howled in pain and held the side of her face. Tears pricked in Derek's eyes, and he fought the urge to run to his mother. What if his Dad hurt him too? Derek didn't want to get hurt._

" _Oh my god," Charlie said, finally back to normal. Fran's yells of pains had brought him back. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"_

 _When his mother looked up, nose bloody and a look of pure fear in her eyes, Derek ran upstairs and jumped in the bed. He couldn't watch another minute. He was too afraid of what he might see. He never wanted to think about Charlie hitting his mother again._

 _He never got out of bed again after that at nighttime. If he got scared, he woke Desiree up. For some reason, she seemed to understand his aversion to Charlie._

"Why do you love me?" Derek asked. "I'm just like him. You always say I'm his spitting image and whatnot. If Dad hurt you so badly, how can you stand to even look at me?"

Fran was shocked. "You're not your father," she said. "Just because you share looks doesn't change how I feel about you."

"But we're the same," Derek persisted. "We're both in law enforcement. We've seen the same horrors. We know the same pain. This goes beyond just genes and looks."

"Just because you chose a similar profession means nothing," Fran said. "Besides, you've always taken precautions and talked to someone when you needed it. Your father never did that. That's what makes you two different."

Derek slammed his hands to his knees and stood up. "How does it not bother you?" he asked. "I resemble him perfectly. Sometimes people even mistake me for him. I could so easily snap and hurt any of you."

"Derek…"

"How can that not terrify you? How can you love me and call me your boy after what he did to you? To us? To our family?

"Derek," Fran said. "Please don't do this to yourself."

"How can Desiree love me?" he asked, openly crying now. "Dad almost killed her. If we hadn't came home, Desiree would be dead right now. Doesn't that bother you? When you look at me, don't you see him? I do!"

Fran hung her head, trying to keep her own tears in check. "Yes," she admitted at last. "I see Charlie when I look at you."

"How could you not?" Derek asked. "After everything he did…"

"Let me finish," she interrupted, holding up a hand. "I see similarities when I look at you. Same walk, talk, and sometimes even wardrobe. I don't remember your father's actions when I look at you thiugh. I never see a half crazed man trying to kill your sister or hitting me. Honestly, you remind me of what he was like when we fell in love."

"Huh?" Derek asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I see the way you look at Penelope," she said. "You look at her with the same adoration that your father looked at me with. You get her in ways that no one else does. That's exactly how your father was when we first met and fell in love. That is the man you remind me of."

Fran watched Derek's expression soften. His defense went down. "I do love Penelope," he said. "With all of my heart. But I…"

Derek stopped, his face twisting in pain suddenly. "I don't want to hurt her," he finished. "I _can't._ I couldn't live with myself if I hurt Penelope in any way."

"You would never…"

"Mom, we're already like you and Dad," he said. "Who's to say we won't turn out in the same situation? What if I think she's an unsub one of these days? What if our relationship turns to abuse? Then what?"

"You'll get through it," Fran said. "You'll do what your father couldn't."

Derek shook his head. "No," was all he could muster. "We'd never get through this. Penelope would never want to be with someone who could snap at any moment."

"You need to talk to her," she said. "Penelope will understand and support you. She'd never leave your side in a time like this."

"I don't want to take the chance," he said. "What if I snap and kill her? Penelope's life would be over and it would be all my fault. Like father, like son."

Before Fran could respond, Derek ran off, not bothering to turn around for a second.

 **A/N: Hope you loved! Don't forget to review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here's the last chapter! I'm just as ready as y'all are to get past all this angst!**

Penelope, not able to hear more of Desiree's confession, went looking for Derek and Fran. She wanted to make sure they were okay. How long had they been talking? Ten minutes? Twenty? She had no idea.

Peeking out of the window, she saw Fran on the porch alone. Confused, she hurried to the redhead's side, her concern evident. "Fran?" Penelope asked gently. "Where's Derek?"

It took her a second to answer. "He left," she whispered finally.

"Left?" Penelope asked in confusion. "Where did he go? Did you guys talk?"

She sat beside the woman on the porch swing, not letting go of her hand for a second. "We talked," Fran explained. "Derek was upset. He took off. I don't know where he went."

Penelope's eyebrows rose. Where in the heck would Derek go to cool off? This revelation was outright horrible. Did he know about Desiree and the horror she experienced? How upset was he exactly? What did he _know?_

"He doesn't have his phone either," Fran continued, her nose clogged. "If you go looking for him, you can take my car."

"Really?" Penelope asked and Fran nodded. "Thank you. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

"I texted you an address," she said. "Go there. I know my son. It's the only place in Chicago he'd go in a time like this."

"Alright," Penelope replied, taking the outstretched keys. Then: "Rossi's inside with Sarah and Desiree. They're pretty upset."

Fran nodded and stood. "I better go talk with them," she said. "Good luck Penelope."

With that said, the redhead headed inside and Penelope turned on her heel to the car in the driveway. She had to find Derek. And Fran needed to calm Desiree down.

* * *

Fran entered one of the back rooms to find her daughters in the comfort of the man she loved. Both of the women were tucked under his arms, softly crying. Rossi offered her a sad smile, knowing that her conversation with Derek couldn't have gone well.

She cleared her throat, getting the women's attention immediately. Sarah, as soon as she saw her mother, ran to her.

"I'm so sorry Mom," she said, hugging her tightly. "I wish I would have known sooner. I could've helped you all these years…I never knew…"

"There's nothing more you could've done," Fran reassured her. "You've been wonderful all these years, Sarah. You were much too young when your father died to help me grieve and figure things out. Besides, I know how much you care for both of us. Your father would be proud."

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Yes," Fran said. "There is one thing though. I want you to focus on the father you loved. Not the one that I described today. That wasn't who Charlie was or what he would've wanted. When you remember him, think of the man who tucked you in at night and kept you safe."

The word "safe" made everyone look at Desiree. Charlie had definitely not kept her safe that night he held her at gunpoint.

"I know you're haunted by that memory," Fran said to her. "I am too by my own. We can't live in fear or hatred though. You know that, Des. We're still a family. We'll get through this. We can see a counselor, if you need. We can even take some time before we talk about your father again. Either way, you have to forgive him."

Desiree only nodded, wiping her tears away. "I know," she said. "I forgave him a long time ago. As soon as that man came to the house to tell us he was dead, I forgave him. It...it just hurts to talk about it again. It's been so long."

"We won't make that mistake again," Fran said, drawing the women close. "We'll talk about our problems head on now. I promise."

The three of them hugged then. When they parted, Sarah laughed nervously and said: "I'm sure Rossi can mediate our conversations and help us sort out our problems. He's done that today already. I can't thank you enough, Dave."

Rossi waved her off. "It was just what needed to be done," he said. "Besides, I'm not much of a mediator away from an unsub. I need a police office and a criminal charge to figure things out."

Desiree perked up suddenly. "Where's Derek?" she asked. "Is he upset?"

Fran winced. "Oh yes," she said. "Very upset. He took off. He thinks he's too much like Charlie."

"What?" Sarah cried. "That's crazy! Derek's always been more like you, anyway."

"I know," she replied. "He knows that too, deep down. He's just upset and shocked is all. Penelope is going after him now. She'll bring him home. I know that."

Rossi nodded. "Trust your mother," he said. "Penelope has a way with Derek. No matter what, she'll help him through this. She's done so much for him over the years regarding Carl and the other things he's experienced."

They nodded. "Alright," Sarah said. "Let's start hoping for a miracle. I want Derek home."

Fran smiled for the first time that afternoon. "Well, when it comes to Penelope, a miracle is very possible."

* * *

Penelope drove carefully, sure to follow the directions Fran devised for her earlier. A left at the red light by their house. Go three blocks into town and make a right at the flower shop. Go down the road until the houses stop. Then she would be where Derek was.

Sure enough, ten minutes later Penelope parked in front of a cemetery. She knew without asking that Charlie Morgan was buried somewhere here. It was also obvious that Derek had ran here in his upset.

She hopped out of the vehicle, hurrying down the rows to the opposite end, where Derek stood talking to a tombstone.

"Did you know what you were doing, Dad?" she heard him saying. "Did you ever remember what you did to Mom and Desiree?"

Penelope stopped nearby, not sure if approaching Derek was wise. He seemed far too upset to talk, and he needed this one sided conversation with Charlie.

"I just don't understand it," Derek said. "I don't understand how you could never get help. Why didn't you believe Mom? She's the most honest person I know."

Penelope walked closer, careful not to make any noise. Derek knew she was there though.

"Go away Penelope," he said. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

"I'm not going anywhere," Penelope said. "You need to talk to someone. Especially now of all times. Your mom told me that you guys talked about your father."

"Yeah," he said. "We did. Mom told me all about his PTSD and what he did to Desiree."

"I'm so sorry," Penelope said, drawing closer to him. She tried to hug him, but he backed away.

"Don't," he said. "Don't touch me. Please don't make this any harder than it has to be for me, Penelope. Please."

"Make what harder?"

"We can't be together," Derek said. "What happened last night can never happen again. I refuse to be that close to anyone, especially you. I don't want to hurt you. Alright?"

"What?" Penelope cried. "WHAT? You're ending things with me?"

"I have to."

"No you don't!" she yelled. "Derek, we can be together. I can help you through this. What happened last night was wonderful. It was the best night of my life. I'm sure it was of yours too. How could you even dream of ending things?"

"What if I kill you?" Derek boomed, losing his temper completely. "What if I wake up one day and think you're Carl Buford?"

"Derek..." Penelope started but he powered over her. He was too upset to listen to reason of any kind, no matter how crazy he sounded.

"What if I hurt you?" he continued. "How am I supposed to live with myself if I hurt you?"

"You wouldn't hurt me," she said, walking into his arms. He stood stiffly, and Penelope tried to embrace him. He wouldn't have it though.

"You don't know that," he said. "I don't know that either. I could snap at any moment, Penelope. Do you realize how serious this is?"

"I trust you," she said. "Derek, please. You take precautions, and Hotch watches for this kind of thing with us. He knows the symptoms of PTSD and how it can be treated."

"Mom looked up information too," Derek countered. "It didn't help my father one bit to hear the facts or know where he could go get help. He didn't even believe her."

"You are not your father," Penelope said, starting to get angry with him. "You know when and how to get help. That's what makes you different."

He just shook his head at her. "It's over," he said. "I'm sorry. I can't and I _won't_ put you through what my father put my family through. It isn't right. I've seen too many horrible things to make you relive with me."

Derek walked away from the graves and toward the woods. Penelope struggled to keep up with him. "Derek, please. Wait a second. Please just hear me out."

She was crying now. Sobbing, she could barely speak above a whisper: "Derek," was all she could say. "Please."

It was the agony in her voice that made him stop. Derek stood silently, not able to turn around, and wanting nothing more than to comfort her.

"You said you didn't want to hurt me," Penelope cried. "What do you think you're doing now? Just the thought of you leaving me is the worst pain you could put me through."

At first, Derek didn't say anything. He struggled to keep his own tears in check, and he wished things could be alright between them again. It wasn't that simple though. His mother's secret weighed on him so heavily that he couldn't breathe.

He felt like he was suffocating.

"My father almost killed Desiree," Derek finally said quietly. "He pointed a loaded gun at her. If she hadn't fought, she wouldn't be here right now. _That could be you, Penelope."_

She approached him slowly, listening as he continued his ramble. "Dad used to punch and kick my mother. I watched him. He thought she was the criminals he chased on the street. He...he was so far gone that he didn't know that it was her anymore."

Penelope reached out to him. Her fingertips brushed his arm, and she was surprised when he didn't pull away. It seemed her words were starting to break through to him.

"We can keep an eye on your behavior," she said. "We have therapists at the Bureau you can visit to work through this and any difficult cases. You have me too. I'll always listen and try to help you in any way I can. You know that."

Derek turned around and looked at her. At first, his expression was unreadable. She could see the pain in his eyes, but something else echoed back at her. Something that she hadn't seen before. Was it understanding?

"I love you," he said. "You know that, right?"

"Of course."

"I'm sorry I'm being a dick," he continued. "I just... this is a lot to take in. I always thought my parents had a happy relationship. That they were so in love. I guess I was wrong, huh?"

"I think they were happy," she said. "I've seen pictures of them together. They looked thrilled to have such a wonderful family."

It was then that Derek pulled Penelope into his arms. He instantly felt the weight on his lungs lessen, and he no longer felt like he couldn't breathe. Maybe he could go on and have his happily ever after.

He kissed her. It was just a peck, but it was still a sweet gesture. He watched Penelope's eyes light up and she stood on tiptoe to kiss him again.

"We'll get through this," she said. "Together. I promise you that."

"I know we will," he said and laced their fingers together. "You always did have a way of helping me work through the tough stuff." Then: "Should we head back to the homefront now? Maybe we need a game night with Rossi to cheer everyone up. Keep our minds on something else, you know? "

She looked at him in surprise. "What?" he asked. "I have to forgive him eventually. Besides, he's crazy about my mom. And, well, he's good for her. She needs someone like him, just like I need someone like you."

"I see," Penelope said, grinning up at him. "And Derek?"

"Yes?" he asked, leading her out of the woods and toward Fran's car.

"I love you too."

Derek laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, knowing that this is what true happiness and bliss felt like.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading!**


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